Survival 101 with Korosensei
by MrFiretank
Summary: "Alright, let me get this straight: An fictional character that exists in a fictional universe is suddenly in my life and randomly decides to help me out. Additionally, you're not an imagination. Also there's your precious other students that are looking for you while I'm basically stuck in the crossfire. Tell me: WHO DID I EVEN OFFEND TO DESERVE THIS?" -Markus Halyard
1. School, Games and Tentacles

_Well ladies and gentlemen… I once said that I'd only write on my main story 'Daylight's End' for now and that I would try other projects in the future. Scratch that statement._

 _Don't worry, I'll keep this short and small so that the intro won't get blown away already. So, I have been a huge fan of 'Assassination Classroom' for a while now, and in an attempt to find new stuff to read (and to distract myself from the ending that I WILL NOT SPOILER FOR YOU!) I browsed through the fanfictions on this site._

 _Though, after a while I noticed that there haven't been a lot of 'ideas' used there. And before any of you keyboard-warriors lash out, that doesn't apply to the stories' quality. Thus, after I binged myself through about a hundred fictions, filled my body up with cola and found a place to write this down in the library of my school on an old laptop, I present to you a whole new different shot on the "What if Korosensei was still alive?"-cliché!_

 _Without further ado (and trust me, you will see_ _that_ _for a long while)…_

 _Roll the first Chapter of 'Survival 101 with Korosensei'!_

 **...**

 **CHAPTER 1 – SCHOOL, GAMES AND TENTACLES**

* * *

"Alright, I want you all to read up to Chapter 21 until next Monday. And remember, we'll receive some new students onto our school on that day, so try to arrive here not half-dead!"

*RING*

"Well, off you go!"

Oh man, how I praised the sound of the final bell on a Friday. It's the sign of god that there is at least someone hearing your prayers on all those assignments as he gives you the weekend for your own time…which I'll probably waste away regardless.

Before any of you guys think that I'm some sort of loner, bullied kid or even depressed, let me already stop you right there. I'll just give you a short introduction of myself as we start to walk to my friends.

The name's Halyard, Markus Halyard. I was born 15 years ago and still too lazy to tell you the exact date. Son of a drama-queen and an optimist, lives a regular life like the other bunch. Currently sporting short, brown hair that loosely hangs from my face, dark-blue eyes and a little peach fuzz adores my head.

In the terms of clothing, I'll just say that there's nothing too significant there. Navy-blue jacket with orange accents, the normal pair of jeans with the white shirt combo and a pair of grey sneakers. Altogether, I'm just your regular student.

…Okay, not quite. Yes, I'm partially smart when I want to be but I'm considered the lazy bum of my class. Still, my grades speak for themselves, so nobody dares to question my qualities.

"Hey Markus! Stop with the monologues in your head already and get your ass over here!"

And let's not forget that, right…

My steps were filled for enthusiasm, yet only to escape the school building already and after a few seconds, I reached my group that was standing close to the bus station. They were standing in a semi-circle around the left side, chatting to themselves or were too busy with scoring a new record on the newest app game.

"Aren't you happy that we can finally relax now?" Desmond Riley, the school's local entertainer, comedian and all in all eye-candy. Blonde surfer-cut, baby-blue eyes and a young face pared with the newest fashionable clothes on the market made him into a literal idol. He's charming, yes, but he'll never go back on his word.

"No, considering its only two days. At least they could have forgiven us for that stupid test result." Martha Simmons, also known as Samantha. One of the school's resident Goths who normally hangs out in the gym's backyard. She's actually very smart and even considered a genius, yet she shattered her own marks by simply not attending any lessons, thus becoming like us: average. Wears black hair in a pixie-cut, black dress, black boots and even uses black make-up. Pair that with her pale skin and you get the friendly downer of our group.

"Well, I'm happy~! At least I can play some more games now~!" And last but not least, the midget. Seriously, Dwayne Taro was at least 1 foot shorter than any of us and gave the impression of a cute child. He was even labeled as 'Shota' within our group. Acting all innocent though he has this damn addiction to electronics…even worse than mine. Blonde hair, brown eyes and the face of a 11-year old. Combine that with his size, the childish clothes he has on and the high-pitched voice and you get this guy. 'Who even has a teddy bear printed on their shirt these days!?'

"Whatever, let's just get to our homes. I don't want to waste my entire day with standing here. If I want to wilt, I can do that in my room." Samantha is usually passive, however...when her patience runs thin, she goes all bossy-like on us and we follow her as lap dogs. So, seeing as the bus finally arrived, we sat down and took our seats on the front.

During the drive home we could see the modern and newly-built houses of my recently built hometown, somewhere in the middle of Germany. Yes, we flew all the way from my home country (America) only to settle down here after a year of dealing with documents, papers and other crap.

Luckily it was worth it as the calm scenery lifted our spirits and relaxed us. I even started to unconsciously pat the small head of Taro who didn't even protest. Samantha seemed less moody than usual and Riley…

"Oh Riley! You're so beautiful today!"

"Hehe, thank you. You're also wonderful looking, my dear."

"AH! HE CALLED ME DEAR!"

"WHAT!? NO WAY, OBVIOUSLY HE SAID THAT TO ME!"

What do you know, fan girls in real life were still a thing. Riley didn't seem bothered in the slightest, so he just looked at our way as the bus drove on, ignoring the loud screeches of these 'ladies'. Bleh, I'm not good with women, so don't you even start this.

After a few more agonizing minutes, we finally arrived on my bus stop. Giving every friend of mine a wave (and a small hug from Taro, damn boy is too cute) I finally exited the bus afterwards and started walking to my own house.

* * *

My parents' property wasn't that far away; maybe just a few minutes longer than the usual stroll but still relatively short. Light yellow adored our walls, the ground around it lined with freshly cut crass. The old tree in the back was slowly rotting on the base, yet we decided to let it rest there. Silver steel was grasped by hand as I unlocked the house's gate and front door-

"Welcome back, my son!" -only to be greeted by that mountain of muscles that was my father. Mental crowd, meet Eric Halyard. Father works at a night-club as a bouncer; normally he's very friendly and even lets a few people pass him during his shift. Yet he always has a story on backup about drunken guys or simple douches that got slammed into the ground by his truly. Oh, and not to forget, he had same eyes as me and was…pretty much bald up there. He's pretty emotional but still respects other people's feelings.

"How was your day, sweetie?" And walking out of the kitchen was the short, black-haired woman that was my mother, Darcy Halyard. She works in a grocery store close to the town middle and always had a smile on her face. In terms of looks you could say that she was pretty much a looker. And I know what you're thinking...since she's my mom, I'll not go into too much detail. Dark-blue eyes, a small statue and thin waste-line made her the attraction of our 3-headed family.

"Ah, it was alright mom. Just another boring homework assignment until Monday but nothing else to complain about." Both parents never forced me to anything. They stood on my side when something happened, yet they also respected others when the situation called for it.

"Well, you know that I'll be gone outside with your father today! So I prepared lunch and dinner for you in the refrigerator. Just warm it up and you're good to go!" 'Ah, she always prepares that stuff for me. What would I do without her? …Probably starve, that's what.'

"Thanks mom! Also, have fun you two! And keep all of that weird stuff inside your room." The blush that adored their faces was worth it. Still, I couldn't tease them too much.

"Okay, just kidding! Enjoy your dinner together!" / "Don't worry, we will!" Dad gave me a playful push on the shoulder as they walked out of the door, leaving me pretty much alone to do whatever I wanted. And if I mean anything…

* * *

"Dammit! You missed!"

"Sorry. Tell me: Who's the professional AWP'er here!? **You, or is it me!?** "

" **None** of you are! Shut it already and move your asses to the bombsite!"

…I basically wasted my time away with shooters and other toxic video games on my computer.

Don't worry, I don't play games all the time. There's also a neatly stacked collection of anime-cd's and manga in the background of my room.

"We lost the game because of you, again!"

"What!? ME!? You hid inside the smoke every damn round!"

"At least I won us a few rounds like that!"

"You know what, fine! We can play another time but only when you calmed down first!"

I instantly turned off my computer by flicking the switch on its cable connector, making the lights disappear after a soft hum filled my ears. The clunky headset was put onto my wooden desk as I just threw myself into the small bed. It was these times where I was grateful for manga since I was too frustrated for video games, yet not tired enough to sleep.

Without even looking at the small, messy stack in the background I grabbed the first one in reach, smiling as the infectious grin of my favorite, fictional teacher covered my view.

'Ah Korosensei, what would I do without you and your special class of miniature assassins?' Although I was a great fan of the manga and anime in general, nobody seemed to share any interest in these hobbies (except my self-created group of Casanovas). I was a closet-otaku and mind you, I gave no fucks if somebody said anything about me or others. How does the saying go? "Live and let live."

Manga upon manga was taken from that old shelf and before I could even blink twice, I felt the familiar darkness of sleep beckon me. Since my parents wouldn't arrive in at least…1 hour, there was nothing stopping me from over-sleeping again and wasting my days in the usual life of regularity.

* * *

"Wake up, wake up! The sun is up!"

What the…usually I would awake to the normal chirping of birds outside. Maybe my father wanted me to play errand-boy again-

"Mmhh…don't want to-"

"WAKE UP, SOILDER! YOU'RE LATE FOR THE ROLECALL!"

" **I'M UP!** **I'M** \- ...huh?"

Alright, I have lived in this tiny ass room for almost 5 years now, stared at every corner for at least an entire week worth of time and knew where everything was placed inside of my own mess. But this…?

First off, all manga had been placed from my bed (where they laid while I slept) into the…clean and newly-looking cupboard hanging from the wall. And when has the wood been oiled…twice!? Also who organized them all by color and title!?

My old rug looked like it was newly bought from 8 years ago…all scratches and holes had been so perfectly patched up that nobody would have suspected any repairs on it. Almost like it was…replaced…

The walls…weren't supposed to be yellow! Well, maybe they were due the sunlight but not like that!

Also, let's **not** forget the smiling tentacle monster that was centered perfectly upright in the middle of my room.

"Oh man…I probably stayed up too long again." I turned my head a few times in the hopes of getting that weird vision out, yet instead it just stayed there again. Then, as if things couldn't get creepier, I saw one of his tentacles move towards my bed sheet…and why did I feel a real presence from it!?

"Incorrect! Although yes, you did use a lot of your time to read, you had more than enough rest." Did I say that things couldn't get creepier? Retract that statement. Dark-blue irises stayed glued on the 'imagined' tentacle that just MOVED THE SHEETS OF MY BED AWAY! And even his facial color changed!

Now, what finally gave me the kick was the fact that my current clothing wasn't the same as before I went to sleep. Oh ho, no. I was currently dressed in a plain, white t-shirt and grey shorts…even considering the fact that I never had the time to change my attire.

Sleepiness washed away as my mind started to pick up on different emotions…such as violation. Or...worse things.

"You…changed my clothes."

"Correct! I figured that sleeping in worn-off, uncomfortable clothes would be negative for your sleep. So I picked out a pair of sleeping wear but not before washing them carefully and drying them myself." To his word, he held up my already worn stuff in his own limbs…as they hanged in mid-air, being carefully folded…and smelling like lavender.

And then, just then, my mind finally realized the situation's reality.

"You're…Korosensei."

"Nurufufufu~! The one and only! And you're the high school student Markus Halyard!"

"You…aren't a figment of my imagination."

"Also correct! As you can see, I'm very well alive and kicking!"

"You're standing…in my room."

"And I even had time to clean and replace any broken items that didn't held any sentimental value!"

"You… **changed my clothes** …while I was asleep…"

"Uhm…correct! T-Though be assured-"

"I'm going to scream…"

"Y-You shouldn't r-raise your v-"

" **AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**

…

* * *

 _(To be continued…)_

 _(Fire Me): Alright, let's set some facts straight. First, I'm not sure if I'll actively update this new project. Sure, you'll receive updates for this since it's a series and I always write stuff for these…over time…but you get the point. It'll take me probably more time since there's also 'Daylight's End' (my other and_ _still_ _active fiction), yet you'll get your updates._

 _Second, there's also real life, so please don't freak out if you turn on your PC, log into your account and see the story's inactive for your own god knows how long. Just know that I'm working on keeping this active and try to not leave you in the dark._

 _Well, I have nothing else to say left, so until next time! As such…_

 _The Sir's out!_


	2. Regulations and Adjustments

_Okay…so since this story isn't the one I'm technically focusing on, I'll try my best to occasionally write more of this so that we all have something out of this. Sounds good? Good._

Markus: "But how can you leave me in such a scene!? I had my clothes changed while I was asleep…BY **KOROSENSEI NONETHELESS!** "

 _C'mon dude, I'm just trying to get this thing rolling! Bear with me when I say that the worst is yet to come._

Markus: "…I should **so** skewer you."

 _*Grins* Like Korosensei once skewered-_

Korosensei: *Blushes and screams* "T-THAT WAS AN ACCIDENT SOLELY B-BASED ON…I-INSTINCT!"

 _Uh-huh._

Markus: "Sure…"

Korosensei: *Blushes even more* "I'M NOT LYING, I SWEAR!"

 _And why do you have that dirty magazine lying right beside you?_

Korosensei: *Looks around and blushes* "WHERE IS IT!?"

Markus: "I KNEW IT! YOU ARE A COMPLETE PERV!"

 _*Sigh*…As entertaining as this scene is for me, we'll have to move on or otherwise you'll forever be stuck in that awkward scene._

Markus: *Shudders* "Alright, fine." *Turns around* "Everyone out there knows the drill. To ensure that we're on a respective base in terms of ownership, we need to remind you that Fire only has the rights for 'Survival 101 with Korosensei' and any OC mentioned. Anything else goes to their creators or other owners."

Korosensei: *Whispers* "Uhm, not to pry into anything…but, why was he staring against the wall as he said that?"

 _Uh...fanfiction. You'll get used to it. So, to not lengthen out this Chapter's introduction, let's get the show rolling!_

Korosensei: *Wears Fire's cloak and imitates his voice* "Roll the next Chapter!"

 _OI! THAT'S_ ** _MY_** _QUOTE YOU DAMN OCTUPUS! *Hears his laugh in the background*_

…

 **CHAPTER 2 – REGULATIONS AND ADJUSTMENTS**

* * *

" **AAAHHHH-** MMHPPHH!"

"Stop screaming or you'll alert someone else!"

"Too late for **that**."

If you should ever decide to be a parent, mind you that there can be very unclear situations. Those can vary from an unknown adult looking at your child repetitively to the horribly descripted directions for a place to change your baby's diaper.

Then then there can be the very, VERY unclear…yet somehow completely obvious situations such as the one that my father's witnessing before his eyes. So…take a giant octopus teacher, put him into your own child's bedroom and you get every bad scene imaginable as a result. I couldn't exactly do much there (given his weird hand being clamped around my mouth), so I had to pray that my dad would act rationally.

"And what **exactly** did you plan on **doing with my son?** " 'Yup…he's royally pissed.'

"U-UH! Y-You see, sir, I-I mean Mister-"

Before the most unique alien teacher currently alive could stammer out another word, Dad wasted no time as he used his old, wooden baseball bat for a powerful-looking swing aimed at the creature's head.

I honestly expected him to simply dodge the attack with his insane speed. Seriously, if you could move with mach-20, you couldn't care less about such an attack. I mean, he dodged bullets, stopped bullets with chalk and other various things and even had enough time to…oh, I don't know…PAINT HIS ATTACKER'S FINGERNAILS!

Well, try to feel my surprise when he just stood there, letting the attack perfectly hit him as it did nothing to him.

"Wait, Mister! I should've warned you about such attacks being-"…I had just expected it to end right there…and instantly got a reminder of reality liking to screw with the lives of others.

 ***BASH***

 **"OWWWW!"**

When pain erupted in my head, confusion settled in-between my painful groans. ' **Hold up!** How did I get hurt when my father hit Korosensei, not me!?' To my relief, the baseball bat was already abandoned as my father rushed to my side while the fictional teacher either mentally panicked or was left baffled at this unexpected result.

"Son, how many fingers am I holding up!?"

"Enough to know that you hurt me!"

"Not intentionally, I swear!"

"Honey…why is a fictional high-school teacher standing in our son's room?"

All of our eyes turned around as my (still) sleepy mother stood at the room's door, leaning on the newly colored wood while she rubbed her tired eyes.

"Wait, you know what this creepy thing is, love?"

All she did was giving a shrug with closed eyes as her reply came. "It's not like I never got interested in all of these books that our son's reading…no offense for reading them in secret, sweetie."

"None taken…also, its manga, not just books."

"Okay…so tell me: Is it dangerous?"

Mentioned alien was starting to fume at the constant mentioning of 'it' while I replied before anything could further escalate. "He may be goofy but other than that he's harmless." Of course I couldn't mention the whole 'Ass-Class-Situation' to him, so I prayed that it would be left on my explanation.

The atmosphere was tense as my father was thinking…and thinking a bit more, looking occasionally at Korosensei who just had that infamous smile on his face.

Sighing, I saw my father walking out of the door as he spoke. "Just let's get this over with. You and that…guy…downstairs. We're going to have a talk." Relieved sighs escaped out of my own and the teacher's mouth before we could stop them.

"Also, I'd like to hear the whole truth."

…There goes my moment.

* * *

After two cups of coffee, a breakfast that wasn't cooked by my parents or myself either…and after I stared with a raised eyebrow at the alien out of place (who just pointed at my half-eaten omelet), we all sat down on the pair of couches in our living room.

I then spent an entire quarter of an hour telling my parents the story of the number-one assassin that was turned into the creature standing before me who had pretty much the whole world's attention; every assassin aiming to kill him…even the students that learned almost all of their skills from his and the other's training.

When I was at the part where he…you know…passed on…worries filled as sadness covered my face. Anyone that saw this moment could agree with me on the emotions that took place. And since…Korosensei sat pretty much beside me, I hesitated in telling his story.

Thankfully, he actually picked up on my change in moods, continuing on where I left off. Every minute passing by, my parents started to tear up even more. And as he explained his last moments, my mother actually teared up…like, full-blown sobbing. Dad had a bit of restraint, yet there were visible tears trailing down his cheeks.

And I…I'd lie if I told you that no tears were spilled from myself.

There's also one thing that we figured out. Turns out that he blacked out when the last moments of 'Assassination Classroom's' plot were supposed to occur…only to wake up to the boring ceiling of my domain and the smell of low-grade fast food.

"So…that is all that I could tell you about myself. Now…what is your opinion?"

Mom (just like her personality as usual) was quick to bring the mood up. "Of course you can stay with us here, right Eric?"

On the other hand, Dad was staring at the unusual visitor before him, glancing at him before asking his own questions. "Just like my dear, we'd be ready to let you stay here…although I'd like to ask you something first."

"Sure! You can ask me anything!"

"Alright. Then, how come that you, a fictional figure out of these manga that my son reads, suddenly appears in his very room? Also, why did **HE** get injured as I tried to defend him!?"

"Calm down, dear! I'm sure that he has an explanation for this."

"I…actually don't."

"HUH!?"

Wait, back up for a second! So, I am supposed to believe that Korosensei, **KOROSENSEI** doesn't have an explanation to this situation!? I voiced my opinion, only to receive the color change of his face that indicated me being wrong…again.

"Mind you, I may be a high-school teacher and am currently named 'Korosensei' for a reason, yet even I am not all-knowing." Nobody really looked happy at this revelation. Mom seemed distraught at his situation and Dad was just completely confused...I needed to turn this around. 'Doing fluffy things never was my forte but might as well try it.'

"At least I have someone to spend my time outside of school with. So...until we find a way for you to return, welcome to the bunch Korosensei?"

Although his expression was set to only one option, I swear I felt a difference…somehow…around his presence as he grabbed our hands and shook them vigorously. "Oh, thank you so much! It means a lot to me that I'm getting accepted into your sweet family! I hope I can help you much throughout my stay~!"

And que the happy ending to- wait.

"Uhm, what do you mean with…helping me?"

"Well, you have school of course! Nurufufufu~! Did you expect me to abandon my duties as a teacher?"

…I have the feeling that my relaxing time at home will get drastically changed. 'And I'm not looking forward to it.'

The loud cough of my Dad brought our attention back to the stern talk. His eyebrows were furred together in what seemed like concentration as he spoke. "We'll also have to establish some ground-rules-"

"Not to worry, Mister and Misses Halyard! I took the liberty of planning this myself and established a 7-point plan that's easy to remember and uphold!" And as his statement couldn't become more obscure, never forget that this was an entity with the ability to move at mach-20 we're talking about.

True to his word, he showed us a huge sheet of paper that had 7 lines written on them, each stating a short but accurate rule on his stay. He…even got so inventive that there was a small comic drawn under each separate rule, portraying small chibi-variations of ourselves.

"Aww, we look so CUTE~!"

"I can already feel the migraine forming in my head- huh? Where did the tea come from!?"

"As stated on the list, this is part of rule number 4! 'If any member of the family should be at the risk of health due to any reason, I am obliged to help him back to full health!'"

"Not that I'm grateful for this but doesn't this seem a bit over the top?" Mom just gave a quiet giggle at the desperate tone of my father while I fought the urge to deadpan at him. 'You don't even know the rest of it.'

"Nonsense! Since you are nice enough to take me in, anything less would be insulting towards your gratitude!"

"…Lemonade tea. You even got my favorite flavor right."

"You should get used to it, dad."

"…Probably."

* * *

The rest of Saturday was pretty much normal for us as we spent a bit more time talking about the rules and chatting as usual. One thing that he also talked a lot about was his other students and his colleagues. Disregarding the fact that all of them want to pretty much end his life, there was **SO** much he told us about. He even stated some facts that were never mentioned within the actual canon!

"Wait, that kid beat up how many at once!?"

"That's right! During one time where Karma skipped classes, he managed to take down 12 delinquents by himself!"

"And that machine you're talking about has access to the entire world's info? Just like that?"

"Technically yes. But if you were to program a security software so advanced that nothing could crack it, even Ritsu would need a while to overwrite it."

It turned pretty much into a tea talk, you know, like the times where your grandmothers and grandfathers are so bored that they'll travel to the closest café and chat about all their dear children's future plans. Yeah…not for me.

Nothing much was done afterwards as we decided to watch the local news for a bit until we hit the hay. Korosensei pretty much offered himself to take our couch (not before dusting of all shelves in the living room and my mother trying to reason with his actions), so I was pretty much left alone in my somewhat-improved room. 'I have to give it to him, the room feels…more inviting now…'

There should have already been holes in the ceiling from my gaze burning through it. So many question racked up inside of my mind. What would happen now? Will he ever get back to this own world? What is the reason he was sent here? The questions became too much, so I finally started to snuggle into my cushion, letting myself finally get some rest.

'Well then, let's see what you can teach me...sensei.'

* * *

Cooked eggs and bacon greeted my nose as I woke up, my drowsiness being slowly forgotten by the happy mind of our house guest…and the funny sight of him wearing an apron with fitting headband.

"If I could eat such delicious food every day, then I'd never have to buy any fast food anymore!"

"Oh, it's not so big of an achievement! Just add a little white pepper and salt to the eggs just as they're about to finish and they'll instantly taste better!"

Mid-day, we pretty much did the stuff that we usually do, including my parents watching a movie on the TV with a bowl of popcorn in front of me as I did my homework. 'I bet they're having more fun watching me suffer…' But at least, every bad situation has a silver lining.

"You calculated that part of the equation wrong. Yet everything else was done perfectly!"

"Heh, thank you sensei."

"Just doing my job~! Now, let's look at the next equation! Could you tell me which part of this task was calculated wrong intentionally?" Three tentacles pointed at each part of the task as I racked up my brain in an attempt to remember what our math teacher told us about this.

"Uhm…the…blue one?"

"Correct~! The result of this formula hasn't been divided by Pi yet, unlike the other choices' results! See, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Actually…no. Not at all!"

"Nurufufufu~! Now, since we're basically done with your own work for tomorrow, why don't we watch the movie together with your parents while enjoying some self-made popcorn?" The look on my parent's faces was priceless as they heard that!

"When did you have time to make fresh popcorn!? We only have the one from our microwave!"

Korosensei just pointed at our stove where a pot was resting there. 'Did he cook while we finished my homework together? Damn, he's good!'

"Oh, that's actually very simple to do! Just take oil, popcorn kernels, butter and salt, put everything besides the butter into a pot over medium heat and leave it there for a few minutes while the lid is slightly ajar. Then, when the popcorn itself is done, melt the butter under the pot's heat and drizzle it onto the batch while mixing it and voila~!" I was staring with wide eyes…and a bit of drool falling out of my mouth at the huge pot of steaming fresh popcorn in his tentacle hands. 'Korosensei, you're my savior!'

Well, we agreed to share the popcorn and eat it together so no one was left disappointed. All of us enjoyed our time together while the comedy movie ran in the background. It seemed like nothing could trouble us that moment.

'*Sigh* …Even then there was always school around the corner of a weekend. Seriously…I might be paranoid but my gut is telling me that something big will happen tomorrow, just what?'

...

* * *

 _(To be continued…)_

 _(Fire Me): I'm keeping this short since I have to sleep!_

 _The missing linebreaks got edited back in and now everything's fine again. Also why I'm writing on this, there'll also be a Chapter out on my other story soon, so don't expect another update in the next 2 days or so.  
_

 _Have a good night and until next time!_

 _The Sir's out!_


	3. Students, Anxiety and Bullies

Taro: "Hello everyone~!"

Samantha: "Say, why do we have to do this again?"

Riley: "Well, it's because a friend of Markus asked us to. Also…" *Stares at the audience* "I do fancy the light of a live audience myself!"

Samantha: "Alright. Midget." *Turns to Taro*

Taro: *Tilts his head* "Yeah?"

Samantha: "Remind me to punch Mark in the chest for dragging us into such a stupid thing."

Taro: "…Uh, ok?"

Riley: "But well, we aren't here to waste more time by holding friendly conversations!"

Samantha: *Deadpans* 'That was friendly to you?'

Riley: "First, we've been asked to read out a comment on the story written by his friend where…we are included in." *Shows a darkish-blue envelope with a chibi character printed on it, **'AkariAikawa'** was written on the front* "Honestly…this looks similar to Taro."

Samantha: "Just give me that!" *Rips the envelope out of Riley's hands and opens it* "Alright, let's see… **"omg ive been searching for this kind of fic since i entered the fandom. Thanks a bunch for making this!"** "Well wow…" *Whistles* "Pretty sure that the writer would be thankful for your response…if he had to guts to be here right now."

Riley: "We have also been requested to read out this small text that was written on this paper! Its function is unknown to me but since I was politely asked by my friend, we'll to it regardless! Taro, you may have the honors!" *Hands the small piece of paper to him*

Taro: *Eyes widen* "YAY~!" *Takes the paper and turns to the audience* "Uh...hello! 'Any and all rights to this…story go to MrFiretank! We as his OC's-'…What's an 'OC', Sam?"

Samantha: *Groan* "That's a term used inside of fanfictions, referring to characters that have been added to the story by their creators or others if given permission. So 'OC' stands for 'Original Character'."

Riley: "I'll just take that for now." *Grabs the paper back and then reads* "As Taro was saying… '…We as his OC's are also reserved in the terms of rights to MrFiretank. Other things such as OST's or soundtracks go to their respectful owners.' And we're done!"

Samantha: "Finally!" *Grabs Taro from the back of his collar and walks away* "C'mon, squirt. I don't want to sit alone in a corner for two hours while smoking."

Taro: "Hanging out with Sam! Yeah!"

Riley: *Stares* "I don't know whetever or not he just used that pun on accident or purpose..."

 **...**

 **CHAPTER 3 – STUDENTS, ANXIETY AND BULLIES**

* * *

"Ugh, do we seriously have to attend that stupid ceremony again? They're holding it every year!"

"You're not the only one who'd abandon the first half hour, Samantha. But the teacher told us that they'll be having students from overseas this year and we're supposed to act respectful towards them by being there."

Monday. The one day that every one of us hated like a cat fearing water. Nobody would be fully awake to this time, seeing how all students inside of the school bus were yawning in their seats or where they stood from. Even the teachers would probably be half-dead to this time if it weren't for the existence of coffee. 'Well…if you exclude a certain one of course.'

"C'mon Riley! Just five more minutes~?"

"No, Taro. If you fall asleep now, you'll be having even more trouble with waking up."

Our cute little blonde was desperately trying to lay his own head on the school idol's shoulder, who just simply pushed him off with one hand while grabbing into Taro's bag with the other one. After a few seconds of this circus, he finally pulled his hand away to place the two earbuds into Taro's head as loud techno filled his brain.

"Here. Keep yourself awake with that."

"Thanks, Riley~!"

With the 'Shota' in our group, it was like we were parents ourselves, constantly dealing with his tantrums and taking care of him. And he was as old as us! I sometimes wonder what his parents are doing considering his education and growing age…yet Samantha's irritated tone brought me back.

"Say…does anyone have more information on these guys and girls? I'd prefer to not be left in the dark when dealing with them in the future."

"No, Samantha. I talked to the girls that always fan over me and none of them heard anything of importance in that regard."

"Crap. Well, we're here now, so let's just get this over with and survive until 6th period."

"Right." / "Agreed!" / "Uhuh~!"

* * *

"I welcome you all to the beginning of this next semester! Even though we'd all want to have some more free time…"

Chuckles rang, some people stared with a bit of curiosity whilst others just plain out ignored him. Our principal had a lot of years on his shoulders, seeing how he manages to keep a smile on his face with the impressive age of 68. He's been nicknamed 'Santa' by the students some years ago and actually found so much humor in that name that he kept it until this very day.

Like his name suggest, imagine the typical Santa Clause, put him in a grey suit, remove his oversized beard and give him a pair of round, black reading glasses. Congratulations! That's pretty much him. Considering his personality he pretty much liked everyone, even the rowdies! And since he never draws someone's anger at himself, we all like him back. Kind of like a second grandfather here.

But my GOD was his speech always boring! No one, NO ONE in my row even bothered to listen anymore, not even Taro (who just silently grabbed his PSP and played some weird rhythmic game)! Samantha was staring at her nails and Riley…did the exact same thing as her. And I was silently sulking to myself.

'Why can't I just go home already? I'd prefer it to get taught by Korosensei than anyone else here. Wait…no, my history teacher's pretty chilled, so I guess she's alright. And there's also our co-'

"And now, it's time to introduce the newest add-ons to our lovely school!"

Commotion between all students died down when we heard him announce that. No wonder, all new students were considered fresh meat here and their first appearance would either make or break their career on this school.

…Yeah, not really. Actually, it was similar to a new exhibit in the zoo. Like...when they catch some crazily rare panda or something and everyone gawks at its 'beauty' and cuteness, and no. NO, I won't pay to go to a place like that just to watch animals do regular stuff! I'd rather watch National Geographic for that.

Anyways…that old lump that could have been considered a curtain in the 80s was now moving apart to reveal four rows of chairs, all of them packed with new freshmen for our school. Riley was looking interested at each and every single one of them, Taro meanwhile was smiling like always in an attempt to probably take some nervousness away of those who stared at the crowd and made eye contact with him.

Though, Samantha and I stared at a specific direction of the stage. At the right side of these rows was a group of students that might have stuck out of the bunch. And while she whistled in respect…

"Damn, this bunch has some freaky colors on their heads. I enjoy this already!"

…I was just left gaping at them in shock. Why, you ask?

"And now, as a special surprise for everyone today: A small speech given by the man who directed the 'OSTP', or 'Oversea Student Transfer Project'!

Because I knew every goddamn one of them by heart. Every. SINGLE. **ONE**.

"Please welcome with a hefty applause: Karasuma Tadaomi!"

'ARE YOU **SERIOUS** RIGHT NOW, GOD!?'

My mind was pretty much blown away while the monster of an agent was walking to the podium, adjusting the mic slightly and speaking in that serious tone that always meant business.

"Thank you, principal."

"Oh, please, just call me 'Santa' if you'd like." A chuckle from everyone was the response to the known joke.

"Right…now, since I'm sure that you're all having a lot of questions about us, please hold them back for the next few days until we all adjusted to your own grounds. Other than that, they're glad to be here and look forward to talking with you soon. That'll be all." And, vague and short like always, he had positioned himself back to his original spot.

I (meanwhile) was still stuck so deeply into my thoughts that I never noticed how they all left the stage and walked to their assigned classrooms. It wasn't anything different until 10 minutes (after mostly everyone left) that I received a slap on the back of my head by Samantha herself.

 ***SLAP***

"OW! What was that for, Samantha!?" Remember kids: Always try to avoid situations that could earn you a whack or anything pain-related by a girl. These things hurt. A LOT!

"You were stuck in your head again, probably doing that monologue of yours."

"Uhm…actually no." I couldn't even explain much further before a worried Taro jumped besides me and was flocking around me. Next to him, Riley was getting confused at my exclamation.

"What do you mean, 'no'? Usually you talk to yourself all the time like a damn narrator."

"You make it sound like I suffer from schizophrenia…" A deadpan stare was all I received from all three of them. "Oh, screw you! Seriously, there's something on my mind related to the new students…"

Our Goth was the first one to pick up on my hint. "Oh, so you mean the ones with those weird hair colors! Sure, they looked a bit weird but I thought that this was some weirdly new fashion trend of some sort."

"No, nothing in that sense. Just…god, it's so much to explain."

"Well, then let's go to our residue corner on the parking lot and talk. Our own lessons don't start until 3rd period."

"Alright. You might want to grab something from the kiosk…it will take a while."

* * *

The backside of our school was always filled with cars during lessons. There were also a bunch of wooden benches that had been built by a graduating class from like 3 years ago. You had to give them props on their work…if they hadn't forgotten to oil the damn wood.

Now they had cracks, scratches and graffiti on them but it's not like anyone cared. We had our own spot on the parking lot's right side (close to the exits of course). After grabbing some energy drinks (and a bottle of soda for Taro since the dude can't even drink the other stuff properly without getting antsy) we settled down like always where I began to tell my tale.

Of course I left out any parts involving Korosensei for now. Nobody (outside of my family) was supposed to know of his existence yet, so that meant dodging and making up stuff on the spot.

To say that there were a lot of skeptical thoughts left was an understatement under a mointain.

"Hold up there. So, and without any bullshit or so, you want to tell me that these students in particular look like the ones from some anime or manga you know?"

"Basically, yes." / "…"

Samantha was the only one who actually sat beside me. The tall blonde on the other hand was staying a few feet away from me, Taro behind his legs while they both shared the same thought and nervous expressions that screamed:

'Yep, he's defiantly lost it!'

The only girl in our group however cupped my chin with her hand, staring me dead in the eye with those dark-green orbs while speaking up. "…You're not making that up?"

"No! I swear!"

"…Alright, he's telling the truth."

"Told you so!" / "You **ACTUALLY** believe that!?" Riley was a pretty rational thinker in general, so such a situation seemed completely impossible for the poor guy. 'Well, his fangirls squeal over him 24/7, thus it shouldn't be this hard to believe it.'

"He's not showing any regular patters that come up when someone's lying. No repititions, no stuttering. Besides that, Markus normally doesn't make up such crazy stuff just to lie. Not even him." And once again, Samantha was a savior. '…Alright, defiantly the genius of our group.'

The school idol didn't have much time to question her weird deduction though. Before anyone of us had said another thing, we heard a bit of commotion from our left...the side-wall of our school to be exact.

"Alright you freshman, listen up, because we're only going to say this once!"

"Yeah! We don't like it when some random kids come here and grab all the attention!"

'Crap, it's these two boneheads.'

All of us stared at each other, agreeing mentally on our next course of action. Uhm…not the most logical idea as usual but at least something.

We moved with an irritated expression to the spot where the only two common rowdies of our school could be heard. For anyone wondering, Scott and Andrew Meyers had started causing disturbances since their first year here. In the early times, nobody paid their actions much attention. Though over the semesters that changed rapidly as their actions changed from small pranks to actual beatings.

Since then they always aimed for being the school's number one topic. Thus (whenever something else got the attention) they always fixed that by usually doing crazier stuff than everyone's used from them.

Worse, when someone got the attention…they'd beat the poor person into next week. And not to forget that they're one year longer here than us (as they failed the same year once).

"So, this is how it's going to go: We'll beat you up…"

"…And you'll tell all those students who did it so that we get attention! And if you'll try to tell anything to that creepy teacher of y-"

"OI, WHAT DO YOU TWO MORONS THINK YOU'RE DOING!?"

Bingo and Bongo stopped at their stupid antics to look at 4 annoyed students who created a perfect half-circle around them. Samantha walked up to them, grabbed both of their shoulders and pushed these jerks out of the way. She then took careful steps to whoever got harassed while Taro followed her.

I took a quick glance at the one that these jerks threatened and were about to physically harm. Whoever he was, he seemed rather short while wearing a regular pair of jeans parred with a black hoodie. Its hood was up, so his face was pretty much covered. 'They also said that he was one of the new guys around school…so what was he doing here?'

After I was done with examining, I and Riley turned to the bullies lying on the ground who still groaned in pain. The blonde was the first one to speak up.

"Listen, you two: Everyone's aware of your wish of getting attention on a daily basis but we're all tired of it, so could you lay off for once!?" I followed up his scolding with a few thoughts of my own.

"If you douchebags want attention, do something helpful for once. Attacking a freshman on their first day is the lowest of low things that you ever planned! Now scram, before me and Riley tell everyone around school who had this genius idea!"

They seemed reluctant at first but when threatened to have this information spread everywhere, they left in a rush through the school's side entrance. I watched them ahead the entire time to make sure that they didn't just stop ahead to sneak up again. My friend beside me now sported a small grin that slightly vanished when he turned to the bullied student and walked up to him.

Even with my back still turned to them, their conversation could be clearly heard.

"You got lucky there, kid. If we hadn't sat there in the back, they'd have beaten you into a bloody pulp." There was a slight hint of scolding in Samantha's voice.

"They're really scary, uhuh! But now that they're gone it's alright~!" Taro sounded pretty happy, yet it was clear that he just wanted to lift the student's spirits with a façade. We knew this because he always did that.

"Indeed! For now, I apologize on the school's behalf for such an unmannered experience for your very first day. You're one of the new students, no?" Riley always acted like he was the school's ambassador but no one minded that. Actually, he was once elected for a position in the student council and still rejected it after all of their tiring meetings.

'Can't disagree with that decision. They only talk about the cafeteria food any-'

"Thank you! H-Honestly, I was on the way to find the school's bathroom when they ganged up on me…"

"No problem. You uh…don't have to bow, you know? It's not necessary..."

…This can't be happening.

"It is! You saved me from g-getting hurt, so it's only normal for me to show my gratitude."

"Hehe! You look so funny when you do that~!"

"I k-know...b-but where I'm from its meant as a sign of respect to someone for their help."

…You're actually doing this to me, god!?

"Well, you can move your head up now, here in Germany it suffices when you just say 'Thank you'. Anyway, we haven't even introduced ourselves! I'm Riley Desmond but people usually say it the other way around, because it 'sounds better'."

"And I'm Taro~! My nickname's Dwayne, still they all stick to Taro!"

"…The name's Martha Simmons...but I'd advise you to stick with Samantha. Now, tell us, what's your fancy name?"

What have I even done to deserve this!? TELL ME! **ANYONE!**

"I-I'm Nagisa Shiota. It's nice to meet you…"

...

* * *

 _(To be continued…)_

 _(Fire Me): Ladies and Gentleman, I actually managed to find some spare time over the last days and actually managed to get this Chapter done! The estimated release date was actually planned for Wednesday, but whatever!_

 _Also, if you don't see any update within the next currently days, I'm reusing my previous statement. School's being a pain in my ass again and exams are coming up soon, so bear with me as I try to write as much as possible._

 _ALSO also, I'll be focusing on my next Chapter for 'Daylight's End, since that one's overdue for quite a while. In that note, there probably won't be another update before that gets done._

 _Sorry for being the bearer of bad news this day, yet here! Have a cookie as an apology! *Hands you a cookie* …For now, I'll have to leave again! Until next time!_

 _The Sir's out!_


	4. Nagisa, Teachers and Meetings

_Well then lads, it's that time again where I actually manage to write enough for this story to post an official update! Also, I want to still apologize for correcting the latest mistakes of Chapter 3 with my damn phone…not the best I idea ever._

Korosensei: "Well, it was either that or leaving some impactful mistakes in the story."

 _Do you think that I did the right thing?_

Korosensei: "Not exactly the best courses of action but at least with the intentions of keeping the reader's experience a good one. So, probably yes."

 _Alright! Also, I heard about_ **'AkariAikawa'** _leaving another review for the story! *Shows a pre-opened envelope with the same pattern as the last one* …And I have to say: I was (and still am) aiming for a whole another approach, something that hadn't been done in this community. So expect a similar route for the future._

Korosensei: "And since there haven't been any new reviews so far, I'll just jump ahead and do our disclaimer!" *Disappears and reappears with an announcer's suit and mic* "Ladies and gentleman of this wonderful community! For today's event there'll be a reminder that the story and their OC's are proudly owned by MrFiretank! Anything else will be going to their other owners!"

 _Damn, you're getting the hang of this! Nicely done._

Korosensei: "Nothing that a good teacher can't do!"

 _Right, and before we move on, I'd like to do a quick shout out towards_ **'Minipa'** _! Check out his latest release (_ **'** **Minipa's Trope Discussions and How to Not Suck Shit at Writing'** _), it'll be important for everyone around here! (I love the title of it already! XD)  
_

 _Now then, since there's nothing left to say:_

 _Roll the next Chapter!_

…

 **CHAPTER 4 – NAGISA, TEACHERS AND MEETINGS**

* * *

God, I've been an honest person my entire life, I've never cheated on someone yet and never scammed my friends for money. So tell me, WHAT DID I DO!? 'Why did you have to put me into this situation in the first place!?'

"U-Uhm, excuse me for asking but…who's he?"

"Oh, him? That's Markus Halyard, the school's resident daydreamer. He's always talking to himself inside of his mind, though you'll get used to it."

First you throw Korosensei into my bedroom at night and now you bring the ENTIRE 3-E into my school! And now I'm in a spot where you force me to talk to Nagisa!? OH COME ON!

"Why isn't…he turning around?"

"Sigh...Wait a second, I'll get him back on earth."

This is bad! Really, REALLY bad! Since Korosensei's health is somehow connected to my own one and vice versa, I'll be dead before the end of-

 ***SLAP*** 'OWW!'

"Come on Mark. Do you really want to be rude and not introduce yourself to the new kid?" 'You're not helping Samantha!'

"S-Sure…I'll do it." Time seemed painfully slow as I turned in what seemed like minutes. My head just didn't want to live this situation down. Sure, Korosensei was already bizarre enough for me but when his class gets involved I receive the feeling that someone up there wants me dead.

Somehow I prayed on a wonder, thinking that this entire scenario was a setup. If the hidden camera may finally step out of the bushes!

But no, no such luck for me…when I had completely turned, there he stood…the petite boy that had recorded every single weakness of his enemy over the duration of his entire last year. His signature blue hair was tucked inside of that hood. 'I didn't even recognize him with that thing on…' His eyes seemed friendly enough, yet there were still a few mysteries left…

"Uhm, hi. I'm Markus…Markus Halyard. The typical nobody of this school."

"Again, N-Nagisa Shiota. Thanks for helping me before, Markus-san." And there were the suffixes...

"It was…no trouble. Uh…" 'This conversation is going nowhere.' As if my group had picked up on my thoughts, both Riley and Samantha grabbed each of our shoulders and commented on this fiasco.

"Good job, now we have two introverts on our school."

"How can you say such a thing, Samantha!? They're just a bit shy…although this seems rather unusual for Mark here." It probably slipped my mind, but I felt like our Goth stared at the side of his hoodie for a few seconds.

"Nagisa, there you are!" None of us really jumped at the sudden call (well, besides me who was still on his last mental nerves) yet we turned around to look at two other…teachers. 'And as if the day couldn't get any worse…'

Considering my currently luck, we were now face to face with the only 2 other adults of 3-E. The charming assassin, Irina Jelavić was assessing the situation as if to spot any harmful intent behind that fake smile. Meanwhile, Karasuma gazed at all of us, giving Riley the stink-eye as his own hand was still resting on Nagisa's shoulder. Our idol reacted as if he was touching pure acid that moment and acted accordingly.

 **"AAHHH!"**

…By jumping away from the blue-haired boy and using Samantha as a guard.

"Save me, Sam! That man looked like he wants to kill me!"

'Not the best choice of words, moron!' Right, these exact words caused both of the adults to flinch very slightly and Nagisa to even freeze up for a split-second. This was an action that didn't went unnoticed by any of us.

 ***WHACK***

"OW, SAM! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT ME, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!"

"Stop spouting such stupid nonsense! These adults are the ones directing the 'OSTP' you moron!"

Riley now sported a small looking bruise on his forehead from a punch by hers truly. My mind finally relaxed from its high, so I tried everything to defuse the tension in our situation. 'Just stall them and we'll be fine. Stay calm, don't let it seem like you're forcing this!'

"We should probably start over…Nagisa already knows who we are but what about your names?"

"Hold up, how do you know his name already!?" Turns out that I already screwed myself over, seeing as the English teacher of the former (?) 3-E was now jabbing a finger at my chest whilst dragging the poor guy behind her. 'Sheesh, overprotective much!?'

"Did you perhaps try to threaten him!? Answer me or you will all get reported!"

"WHAT!?" / "PLEASE, WAIT!" / "DON'T YOU D-!"

"Hold on, Bitch-sensei!"

...

...

…Okay, seriously. Watching the scenarios about this or reading it in the manga was already pretty hilarious. But in real life, all members of our group were trying their best to hold their laughter in. I and Samantha just pulled a deadpan-face up to cover our enjoyment.

Taro was just smiling like he did before, showing no actual difference in his expressions. Yet it was clear that he was laughing heavily on the inside. 'Good for him at least…' And Riley…was actually holding himself better than we were used from him.

In his attempt to not deepen our predicament, he turned around and stared at the parked cars while holding a hand in front of his mouth. Yet with all of this preparation, some snickers and a small giggle escaped him…only to end frozen up entirely as he felt the death glare of Irina behind his back.

"Please, calm down! You see, these students…saved me from getting hurt! They're my friends!" Just like he had his chivalrous moments within canon, Nagisa has grabbed the female assassin by her shoulders and held the teacher back before she could maul our school's idol.

"Are you really honest about this?"

"Absolutely, Karasuma-sensei!" It took a while for an actual response to appear but with a tired sigh he pried off Irina's grip on Nagisa's shoulder and stood now in front of our group.

"…Could you tell us what happened, then?"

'THANK YOU KARASUMA!'

"You see, there are these two idiots on our school that always try to be the big talk around here. So when his class got introduced, they planned on beating him up. We were seated outside already when we heard them talking like second-grade villains." To prove my point even further, I pointed at the reserved bench a few ways away from us, energy drinks and Taro's soda still standing there.

This seemed to have done the trick as the strict agent relaxed slightly. He put on a miniscule smile when he moved a hand towards me. "I'm sure you already heard the speech but might as well be sure. The name's Karasuma Tadaomi, the one who organized the 'OSTP' and currently the class teacher for Nagisa." There was a tiny line of sweat breaking out on my forehead which hopefully went unnoticed by the stern teacher.

Grabbing his hand and shaking it like any civilized man made me freeze for a second as I noticed just how STRONG he was! Although he was clearly holding back, he could've crushed my hand right there. It was like the hug from a gorilla for crying out loud!

Luckily he let go of my hand and pointed to the female blonde behind him. "This here is Irina Jelavić, their class's English teacher and co-partner of the 'OSTP'. And you already met Nagisa." The mentioned boy gave us a small smile while the other assassin just gave us a half-hearted glare. 'It's not like her to be this wary of others…'

*RING*

"Hmm? Well, guess it's time for suffering again. Come on you dorks, move it." As if struck by fire, Samantha rushed towards our bench to grab her own stuff.

"It was nice meeting you, Nagisa~!" Taro (like the cute little cinnamon he always was) stepped slightly forward to give the shy boy his usual hug, making poor Nagisa even blush a little. 'I wonder if I could use that as blackmail…'

Riley put a hand on my shoulders and dragged me away as he spoke. "Right, we have other things to attend to! I hope we talk with each other again!" For modesty's sake I offered a small wave of myself and even got one from both the boy and Karasuma in response!

We grabbed our stuff and walked to our classrooms, yet I was stopped midway when Sam started talking to me. Her usual bored gaze held such a serious intensity that I was already getting nervous. "…You were right."

"Huh?"

"These guys weren't ordinary adults at all…there were small bumps in their clothes. Too edgy for a phone and also in weird places on their bodies. I'd guess that they were armed to the teeth…maybe even Nagisa."

Hold on…if this means that the entire actions from us were unnecessary and we just made ourselves stick out…and created more tension without the mentioning of Korosensei…

…Oh crap. I just doomed all of us.

* * *

All guys (and girl) of our group had already left me as I walked to the back of the school's classrooms where my next lesson would start soon: History.

As I walked along the hall, I spotted another passage extending to the left. 'The freshman's classrooms…' This was probably a stupid idea but I might as well take a glance before anything else starts. That way is connected to my own rooms regardless.

The hall was pretty much wiped clean and silent expect the talking of teachers inside of the rooms. Though there was one door sticking out of the bunch that was ironically unlighted at the end of the hall… 'I shouldn't jinx myself this early…yet again, I'd prefer it to make sure that this wasn't a dream…twice.'

There was a small chance that this room would be occupied by them. There was also a smaller chance that they could be still sitting inside. If they'd spot me (or worse, if Irina would spot me) I'd get stamped as a creep by them or even become suspicious.

In the end my curiosity got the better of me. So after mustering up the miniscule amount of courage left inside of me, I sneaked to the tiny window at the door and gave a peek inside the empty classroom, seemingly unoccupied-

"Uhm, Markus-san?"

" **OH MY FU-"**

Seems like life in general wanted to punish me in the most ironic ways. This time, Nagisa had somehow walked (or maybe even sneaked) up behind me. To be exact, he was standing right behind my back, hood down and one hand just between my shoulder blades.

My body went totally rigid, the ridiculously fast beating of my heart was hearable to me and a hand of my own grabbed my chest as I experienced what was possibly the most horrible jump scare of my entire short life.

Before I could collapse, another hand grabbed me under my armpits and held me upright while I tried to register that moment. My breath was so loud and fast that I was sure that I'd be lying in the infirmary within the next hour. Whilst calming down, the petite boy started talking to me again in a panic-filled voice.

"S-Sorry Markus-san! I-I didn't mean to scare you!"

"It's a-alright! Just…oh my…I just don't take creepy stuff well."

"W-Well, if you say so…" Look Nagisa, I know that you're very polite and all but don't you dare judge me with that deadpan!

"So uhm…what were you doing right there?" 'Oh…this is bad! Wait, what did mom always say? _'Be honest and always leave room for lies?_ ' I'll just have to go for it.'

"You see, I noticed the new occupied rooms and got curious myself. So I wanted to take a peek inside." That was (still) the whole truth.

"Oh, that's understandable. But why did it look like you were afraid of looking into our room?" I didn't screw up yet, still...I was getting cornered.

'…And now the lie!' "Well, if there would have been a teacher and other students inside, I could have disrupted someone's whole lesson, right? Also, it was pure coincidence that I looked into your room since they don't get marked before the classes' first day." Well, it wasn't a complete lie but I certainly didn't state my true motives.

The freshman just stared at me for a second, probably inspecting me with his trained eyes. I was already thinking that my lie went AWOL and that I'd get interrogated…though he changed the thin line on his face with a small smile as he talked on.

"Ah, I see. Actually, I might have acted like this once already, so it's relatable."

Now, I knew exactly that he did the same thing once as well within the canon. Looking through a door's creak inside of his old building's teachers' room to eavesdrop into someone else's conversation seemed pretty similar. Kind of ironic, wasn't it?

…No, this entire situation was just destiny's joke against my luck.

"Nagisa, if you don't mind me asking, where is the rest of your class?"

"O-Oh! We're having P.E. now, so Karasuma-sensei requested that we'd meet up in the gym. Could you maybe step aside, Markus-san? I forgot my sports clothes inside of our room."

…And I was still standing before him, blocking his path like a total jerk. 'Way to go, me.'

"Sorry! I didn't noticed that. Here, you have the key, right?"

The shiny piece was metal was presented before me with a subtle nod as an answer. He opened the door while I was standing aside. Nagisa quickly went inside and grabbed a bag separate to his school one. After exiting his classroom, he closed the door shut and properly locked it.

A tiny bit inside of me was dancing from joy at my latest actions' result. The rest of me was feeling guilty for lying at someone like Nagisa of all people.

*RING* 'The second ring. Lesson's starting soon.'

"Sorry for taking your time away Markus-san but I'll have to hurry now!" I just shrugged at that.

"No problem with me, it was nice talking with a new friend."

Jesus, I swear that this tiny smile of his could stop wars if used correctly. And I received my 3rd one today!

"Until next time, Markus-san!"

"See you around! And you can drop the suffix, just Markus is fine!"

"A-Alright, I'll remember that!"

And down he went the hallway, sprinting as if nothing ever happened today. Midway he pulled his hood back up…for reasons unknown. A desperate sigh escaped my lips when he crossed the corner, leaving me within my own thoughts while I walked to my own room.

'How can I explain this situation to Korosensei without making him pale?'

...

* * *

 _(To be continued…)_

 _(Fire Me): You thought it was just a grammar-related update but it was not!_

 _Okay, for real now, I'll be working on 'Daylight's End' for now and until that gets done, no other updates! The only reason why I even wrote this Chapter entirely was because it didn't feel right for me to just leave it at that._

 _Well, I have an art-exam tomorrow and not much spare time. As such…_

 _The Sir's out!_


	5. Discount, History and 3-E

_Hello everyone and welcome back to 'Survival 101 with Korosensei'! It's been a few days already since Markus had his first encounters with the young assassins as well as the older ones, yet I'm still baffled after the Chapter went live._

 _Holy moly, you guys and girls almost showered me with positive comments (which is something that rarely happens for me to this day)! Sure, it were just 3 reviews…and that seems not like much for some other writers out there but I appreciate every response I receive. Yes, even the negative ones. *Queue gasps*_

Korosensei: "And well, since we received more reviews than usual you'll also get our responses, albeit a bit shorter than we're used to do~!" *Grabs 3 envelopes* "This one's for you…" *Hands one to Markus*

Markus: "Uh…thanks." *Looks closer at the letter, sees **'Zane Alias'** on the front with 'To Markus-san' right under it' "I have a bad feeling about this one…"

Korosensei: "This one's for our dear author…" *Hands the second one to Fire*

 _*Examines his envelope, spotting_ **'Teapot'** _on the front* Nice~!_

Korosensei: "And I'll gladly take the last one~!" *Shows his own one, **'FictionPWR'** was written in a fine font on the front*

Markus: "Guess we'll go down the row, huh?" *Opens his letter and reads it* "Alright, hit me. **"Markus-san / i giv a tan outa tan"** …" *Stares at the camera and deadpans* "Even though we appreciate the praise…I'm not sure if that just injured my brain cells."

 _Well, beggars can't be choosers. I'm up. *Opens his letter and reads*_ **"This is absolutely amazing keep going especially with the Characters meeting your OC it's great"** _Trust me, as long as I continue writing actively I'll keep going with this! Additionally, we haven't even hit the best of parts of the plot yet, not by a long shot-_

 ***BANG*** _HUH!?_

Korosensei: *Dodges BB bullet out of nowhere* "GAAHH! W-WHERE DID **THAT** COME FROM!?"

Markus: "NO IDEA! EVEN THEN, DON'T YOU DARE GET HIT OR I'LL GET INJURED AS WELL!"

… _Guess that means I'll have to stop using the word-_

Korosensei: "E-Even with my incredible speed, I have no n-need to get shot at again! SO DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT FINISHING THAT SENTENCE!" *Face flashes dark-blue, then switches to red*

 _Sheesh, I already got it! Korosensei, if you may?_

Korosensei: "Gladly, better than another assassination attempt from…somewhere." *Carefully opens his letter and reads out* **"This fanfic is SO GREAT! I'm so happy right now"** "Nurufufufu~! You're not the only one! Even though I miss my old students…they…" *Starts to tear up and bawls as his face turns light-blue* "THEY'VE GROWN UP SO FASSSTTTT!"

…

Markus: "…"

 _Due to…technical difficulties we'll…just skip to the disclaimer and move on. That alright with you Mark?_

Markus: *Awkwardly coughs and nods* "Y-Yeah." *Still turned to the audience and camera* "Anyone who has read at least a single fanfiction knows how the disclaimer works. OCs, the story itself and so on are owned by Fire over there. Otherwise, things as songs or OSTs have their rights held by others."

 _Thank you. Now-_

Korosensei: "WHAT I WOULD GIVE TO BE THEIR TEACHER ONCE MORREEEE!" *Cries even more*

 _Let's get out of here before Korosensei gets his graduation album out!_

Markus: "I agree!" *Runs away*

 _*Runs as he shouts* ROLL THE NEXT CHAPTER!_

 **...**

 **CHAPTER 5 – DISCOUNT, HISTORY AND 3-E**

* * *

*DING*

"Dear customers! Line 3 has opened for your purchases~!"

The owner of the beautiful voice sat down on her working chair, preparing herself for the currently relaxed stream of people who she had to deal with. The checkout was already cleaned completely as even the usually dirty surfaces shined from the store's lighting.

"And once again another day at my wonderful life starts~!"

Darcy Halyard's usual shift at the local grocery store started anew. She has worked at 'LeBans' since her only child entered her wonderful life. The working mom had lots of fun during her shifts, radiating positive energy everywhere she went, inspiring her fellow co-workers to live their day with a swing and raising the general attitude of all people who saw her.

"Finally. At least their workers aren't completely useless!"

'But to every rule was always an exception…'

A scruffy beard and long, grey hair met her vision as she spotted the one man who Darcy would have preferred to avoid. She didn't know his actual name (luckily), yet it was as if he had something against this store in general. There was also a hint of disdain in his eyes, the coat that he wore smelled…like fish and she was (almost) sure that he kept the odor on it intentionally.

"Hurry up! I don't have all day and the others are waiting!"

"Understood. Please hold on for a bit, sir!" 'What a rude guy…' To her defense, Darcy already scanned his purchases as fast as possible. Additionally, there was no one standing behind him. In fact, everyone has moved to the other lines just to avoid this pesky individual.

"There we go! That'll be 24 Euros and 16 Cents." Her smile was visibly forced by now, yet she didn't try to let him get the better of her. Her husband taught her better than that! The scruffy man handed her a coupon for 10% off the first item together with his payment.

"Here. And don't you dare get the change wrong!" 'Maybe the other guys' theory was true. It'd explain the lunacy of all this…' Some of her colleagues suspected that he once worked at this 'LeBans' but got fired over time. No one confirmed anything yet, though she was slowly getting desperate for an explanation.

"Here you are, sir! Have a nice-"

"HOLD ON, there is 1 Euro missing!" The working parent could already feel a headache forming as she tried to see his problem…she really did. Pointing at the poorly conditioned coupon she stated:

"Sir, the coupon that you used only grants discount on the first item bought! You put the six-pack of root beer at the front, and since they were already reduced you only saved 45 cents."

"WHAT!? THAT'S A RIP-OFF! I want my money back right now! AND I'll get my groceries for free as an apology!" 'IS THAT GUY SERIOUS!?'

"Is there a problem with our worker here?" 'Oh thank god!' Her saving grace walked up to the two in the form of this 'LeBans's' manager. He was all in all a pretty laid-back guy (if his pair of Ray-Bans was anything to judge), so there'd be nothing to worry about for herself. Darcy even saw the guy vaping in the parking lot multiple times for crying out loud!

"Yes, there IS an issue! Tell your own employee right now that she unreasonably charged me more for my purchase then listed!" Soft humming noises filled the tense air around the trio as Darcy's boss examined the coupon closer while shifting his gaze to the freshly-printed receipt.

"Hmm…yeah, no. Our Darcy here's right. The coupon states that you only receive a 10% discount for whatever you bought first. And assuming from the receipt close to the cash register, there's nothing wrong here. Sorry mate, it's your loss."

"WHATEVER! I'LL JUST GO GET MY WARES SOMEWHERE ELSE!" And so he finally stomped to the exit, rudely leaving all the groceries on the line's conveyor. 'Oh man…that'll take a while to sort them-'

 ***SPLASH***

" **WHAT IN THE SEVEN HELLS WAS THAT!?"** All people inside the grocery store froze to the impossible sight before them. The just recently angered customer was standing there, his coat nowhere to be seen…and completely drenched with root beer. There was also a box full of emply bottles on top of 'LeBans's roof, seeming freshly opened. All employees snickered at the justice that was just served.

"He…hehe…HAHAHAHAHA!" Only that they could handle their inner struggle for so long before Darcy just full-blown laughed at him. Now everyone was chiming in, clutching their sides and catching their breath mid-laughter. Even other customers couldn't help it but to openly laugh as well, earning all of them dirty looks from the victim.

" **I'M GOING TO SUE ALL OF YOU FOR THAT! YOU HEAR ME!? I'LL-** HHMMPPHH!?" Before his angry rant could go even further, a strong blast of wind him hit that resulted in him having one of the coat's sleeves stuck inside of his mouth. The rough material looked perfectly clean as it was starting to get coated once more by the man's saliva.

An upbeat tone was heard beside Darcy when she spotted the phone vibrating. Getting curious about the caller she instantly replied to the number that was labeled with 'Guest'. 'Did he actually...'

*Beep*

"Hello Miss Halyard~! I hope I didn't interrupt your own enjoyment with my timing!"

"Hehe…no, Korosensei! Actually, I was just about to ask you: Did you perhaps-"

"Certainly so~! I was about to actually get a few groceries myself when I spotted this unmannered fellow ranting! Since he was so keen on his root beer, I couldn't help myself but give him the amount that he bargained for~!"

"Hahaha! That was a good one! Still, what about the coat?"

"As much as he was expressing himself negatively, the coat was actually a nice piece of clothing; only poorly treated. So I took the liberty of cleaning such a fine thing before handing it back to him in perfect condition!"

"HEHAHAHA! You'll probably never cease to amaze me, Korosensei~!"

"Rule number 2: 'If any member of the Halyard family was threatened or injured (even if only morally), I shall do anything possible to protect them and their image!' Since he treated you this rudely, it only seemed fair to return the favor myself~! Nurufufufu~!"

* * *

"Alright class…you're standing with your platoon on a field; a bolt-action rifle is in your hands as you spot an enemy British garnison. 'BATTLE SCENARIO'!"

If History could get any more interesting than this, tell me on which school they do it and I'll instantly transfer over there. Don't worry, I'll wait...

...Trust me, you can't. Mental audience…or whoever I'm just talking to (probably myself), meet our History teacher Adrianne Hoards. Otaku in private, obsessed with guns and not afraid to show her love for both of these things in class. See what I'm getting on? Sits on her desk, school book nowhere to be seen and one hand in the air as she shouts. THIS is the type of teacher that sticks out of the bunch.

"The enemy spots you and takes the first shot! MISS! You all run behind cover and think on your next move! You just ran a bit of fair distance and couldn't see if the enemy hid as well or not! DAVE!"

May I introduce you to 'Battle Scenario'? This is when Adrianne (yes, I'm on a first name-basis with her since we talked about anime) thinks of a situation connected to a certain time and date of history and then lets us reenact a battle of that time period ourselves. Or otherwise known as the 'PTSD'-flashback simulator. Truly, I LOVED it. Not craved it but surely loved it.

"Uhm, I try to peek out of my cover and shoot at one of them using my rifle's iron sights?"

"WRONG! You don't know his position as he might be camping inside of a hard-to-see trench! He'd shoot you first since he has intelligence about your own spots! As a result you get shot and heavily injured; you're out of the war for now! NEXT! CAYLA!"

Currently we were focusing on the topic of WW2, using their time's equipment and gear to figure out ourselves how people of that time would think. Don't worry folks; all was in the name of History.

"I'd wait for them to reveal themselves…and throw a poison gas grenade at their location?"

"Good, yet not the best solution! Although gas weapons were feared during this time, Britain predicted the usage of such things and gave all of their soldiers gas masks as a counter! Additionally, they got the proper usage of these drilled into their heads! The poison becomes useless and an enemy sharpshooter hits you in the shoulder; you're out as well! NEXT! MARKUS!"

A grin crept up on my face. 'Time to let my creativity roll~.'

"First off I'd scare them out of their trenches by letting the platoon and myself throw stick grenades into their possible locations. Then when they run out, I'd order my men to shoot at them while they're running from the occurring explosions. Lastly, I'd slowly advance forward and repeat this process of picking targets off one by one until they're either gone or their cover got blown away."

The loud clapping of Adrianne was the first response to my ridiculous answer when she replied.

"A creative approach with the usage of equipment, your own men and strategy in one! Nicely solved, Markus! Never forget class, if you were to fight in the battles, never forget that you aren't fighting like a lone wolf! Your own men can AND will give you cover, fire support, medical attention, ammunition and much more! They're your most valuable asset as you're the same for them as well!"

*RING*

"Class's over! I want you to write a small explanation on how the British contributed on WW2 until next Wednesday! Dismissed!"

'Damn that stuff never gets old.'

* * *

"So, how was your lesson in 'Murder Wonderland'?"

"C'mon Riley, it's not THAT bad. Sure, defiantly violent but it doesn't include actual murder."

The usual commotion around us was pretty much nonexistent while I and the idol talked. The popular blonde just finished his German exam and didn't even fail that badly. Meanwhile I had to wait up to 30 minutes for him to finish so that I could finally bail out of that stuffy room!

"Zumindest war es besser als deine Arbeit. (Translation: At least it was better than your test.)" Remember guys, Germany. Still the boring town in the middle of somewhere of this country. I might have forgotten to mention that we're on an international school, thus most of the staff and everyone else here's used to good ol' English. Whoops!

Grumbling to himself, Riley actually pouted and looked away while murmuring to himself. "…You know that I'm not good in German."

"And that's why I made fun of it; out of revenge for earlier today."

"…Alright, if this settled it then we're even."

"Hurry up! My grandma's faster than you two and she's 74!"

'Seems like Samantha's patience has already run out today.' Me and the blonde picked up our pace to reach the bus station again. The local Goth was standing there, coffee from the kiosk in her hand and an excited Taro standing next to her.

"Hello~! Did you do good at your test?" Queue the cute head tilt. Man, if you have to live with 'Shota' in your friend group you'd think by now that I was immune to cuteness. But no, not at all, you'll never be able to resist cuteness.

"Somewhat. You know that Markus is the better one of us."

"Is this a bad thing now?" Him smacking his forehead somewhat satisfied my boredom, yet not completely.

"No dude! Just…if you would actually try to learn-"

"Hello!"

…

'Oh no, I completely forgot about them.'

My back was still turned when hurried steps sounded behind me, though I didn't need to ask an expert to know who had just greeted me. I felt a shudder on my back since there wasn't just a single presence, meaning more awkwardness for me.

"…Hey, I remember you! You're the freshman that we saved~!" Taro seemed unbothered at all with greeting them, even giving me a glance to signalize me to turn around. Our group was in a circle and since the others beside me could see them without moving, it meant that I was the awkward one out…again.

'Well…let's just get this over with.' Honestly, even if I (kind of) feared for my life with Korosensei being hidden in my house, exhaustion and total boredom turned that around to my usual careless nature.

Turning around to greet the already familiar mob of blue hair I also get faced with two of his own friends. The specks of red and green were a dead giveaway to their identities, still none of us said anything about them.

"I wanted to apologize one last time for running away like that. Also, some of my friends wanted to know about the ones who saved me." He wasn't bowing like the times before, yet he slightly angled his head downwards, his infamous pigtails swaying from his movement as the hood was down this time.

"Wow! You're not stuttering anymore! That's great~!" My god, I swear that one day I'll have to talk to Taro's parents about what they did right with him…or wrong, whatever.

"Wait a second, when did they hear about that?" Sassy remarks weren't Samantha's forte, though she was willing to drop some of them from time to time. So right now there was a hand on her hip and a small glare fixated on the freshmen.

"Well…that's because of me. I wanted to know why Nagisa arrived in the classroom so late at first. Karasuma-sensei just told us that a group of students interfered with him~."

'Okay, this is- **SHIT!** '

Now, I wouldn't be so distraught and panicked like this morning, honest! You try to still do that when you have **KARMA AKABANE** in front of your own face with that trademark-sneer! I didn't even notice how he suddenly moved forward so fast, so I almost screamed when his eyes glimmered with sadistic intentions.

As fast as the surprise was it already ended when he leaned back and extended his own hand before me. The facial features of his relaxed when Karma just harmlessly smiled.

"I was wondering what actually happened, so I simply told him to spill the beans. Since you 4 protected him from potential danger, I'm surely grateful for your actions. Anyways, name's Karma Akabane. Let's just say that I'm a long-term friend of Nagisa~. And you four are Markus, Samantha, Riley…and Taro if he told me correctly." Instead of shaking my hand, he used it to point at all four of us while calling out our names.

"Don't be so rude to them, Karma!"

"What? I'm just having a bit of fun with them, right~?"

"Sometimes I can't- *Sigh* If you're wondering about him, that's his usual nature. Now, my name's Kaede Kayano and I'm also one of the new freshmen around here! Pleasure to meet you and also thanks for protecting Nagisa-kun!" 'Huh, she's using her alias instead of her real name. I wonder what's up with that...'

We all shook hands with her just as the loud honking of our daily school bus reached us.

"Markus! Riley! Get a move on! He won't wait forever!"

Before we started following up, I decided (out of formalities) to at least bid them farewell in an appropiate manner.

"Right, right. Well, it was nice meeting you again Nagisa. Same with you Karma, Kaede." Slowly walking to the door I gave them a half-hearted wave as they just smiled (or in Karma's case smirked) back to me-

"STOP DAWDLING!"

When a hand suddenly gripped my arm and violently pulled me into the bus. 'WHAT THE- SAMANTHA!'

"WAIT! YOU'RE GOING TO DISLODGE MY SHOULDER! OW!"

Karma was probably enjoying every minute of the display; Nagisa was surely giving us another deadpan and Kaede…well, I couldn't exactly predict what her reaction was since she was one hell of an actress. Anyway, I was only focusing on one task ahead…

What would I do now with them possibly hunting me and Korosensei?

…

* * *

 _(To be continued…)_

 _(Fire Me): Now, before you start writing and say "Whoa, two Chapters in one week AND another one for your other story!? What happened with you mate?" I'm just going to tell you that my inspiration took off the last days…with wings…without Red Bull._

 _But don't count on another wonder. The exams are picking up their pace, so I'll be probably stuck between these and driving school._

 _Still, I hope you enjoyed this Chapter as much as I did and we'll see each other next time!_

 _The Sir's out!_


	6. Revelations and Allies

_*Crashes through the door* WHOOOO!_

Adrianne: "WHOOOO!"

 _WHOOOO!_

Adrianne: "WHOOOO! WHY ARE WE SCREAMING!?"

 _I finally wrote my exam! Sure, there are still more waiting but at least the most annoying one's done!_

Adrianne: "Aww, can't even draw a little stickman?"

… _Zip it. Trust me,_ _you_ _try to write an analyzation about a painting of the renaissance with little to no pre-knowledge. It's short up horrible…_

Adrianne: *Pouts* "What do you think I had to sit through to become a teacher? It's never as easy as it seems. Anyway…here!" *Throws a bundle of reviews at Fire's head*

 _*Gets hit in the head*_ _ **OI!**_ _WHY DID- oh, so many reviews again~._

Adrianne: *Walks towards him while sighing* "While you were gone, some people decided to leave a few messages of their own. Why don't you calm down by reading them with me?" *Grabs two white envelopes, marked with **'Guest'** from Fire's hand*

 _Definitely fine with me. *Shows the other two envelopes, marked on the front with_ **'AkariAikawa'** _and_ **'FictionPWR'** _and their respective avatars*_

Adrianne: "Now, guess I'll go first then. Since both of them are reviews from guests…the clue's in the name…I'll just read both of them at once. Here goes! **"Awesome!"** Nice, nice! And… **"Keep updating this is amazing!"** Well I'll be damned but your story actually has a few fans already!" *Thinks to herself* "Maybe I should have a 'Battle Scenario' with some of the readers…"

 _Maybe another time. Please just…not yet, alright?_

Adrianne: *Pouts and argues* "Everyone likes these lessons! Why should I not do it!?"

 _Because we're here for another reason! You even said it yourself!_

Adrianne: "…Fine. But I'll keep the idea."

 _You do…_ _ **that**_ _. Now, let's go over the other reviews! Alright then…which one to start with…_ " _*Grabs one of the two envelopes at random* Ah! Luck's on the side of_ **'FictionPWR'** _!_ **"Awesome update! Good luck for your exams!sending digital luck wave*"** _Honestly, I hope that the exam's result will turn out fine. Though, my best bet is praying for now._

 _Now, to the other one! Here it is…oh, hey_ **'AkariAikawa'** _! Great to see that you're still here!_ **"you cheer up my day with every update! keep up the good work! woohoo!"** _Aww, thank you! That really warms my heart! Also, don't worry. The updates do get written, just at a lesser rate than anticipated._

 _Good! Thanks for all submissions in our story's reviews. Every bit of feedback helps and I'm honest._ _Every_ _review._

Adrianne: "Well, now then everyone. Time for the usual drill." *Inhales and turns to the audience* "ATTENTION!"

 _*Flinches* GAH!_

Adrianne: "ALL OF YOU! WHAT YOU'RE READING TO THIS LOWLY MINUTE IS OWNED BY THIS BEANSPROUT!" *Points at Fire*

… _Really Adrianne?_

Adrianne: "So do him a favor and respect him and his rights. AT EASE!"

 _I would just like to point out that she never was…or has been working in the military. She's just too excited with her job. For now at least, let us move on!_

 _Roll the next Chapter!_

…

 **CHAPTER 6 – REVELATIONS AND ALLIES**

* * *

"So…they're here as well. Just like myself?"

"Absolutely. And they still bare the knowledge of your lessons."

Telling Korosensei about his previous class appearing took me a while. I really much sucked at being the bearer of bad news…even for a fictional creature.

But the situation called for it, so here we were; Korosensei sat on the couch with some bags of sweets (which I'm sure had been bought by my Mom) whilst I sat next to him, feet lying on the couch. The remote for our TV lazily swayed in the palm of my head as I tried to distract myself with some weird game show.

'Honestly, Korosensei is taking this better than-'

"I'm…so proud that they haven't forgotten what I taught them!"

There were tears swelling up in his eyes. Tears of Joy…

"THAT'S **NOT** THE POINT!"

I swear, the pride for his class was really getting the better of him…but it was relatable. All of them liked their old teacher to the point where they wanted to abandon their main goal. And vice versa, he was so close to them that he was ready to sacrifice his life at any given time. One could honestly respect that.

"Seriously Korosensei…can't you take this a bit more seriously?"

"Nurufufufu~! But I already am! This is going to be an exciting turn of events for us, won't it?"

"Well, you…aren't completely wrong. But what are we going to do about my…you know…" I started to point with my free hand at Korosensei and then at me. He quickly got the hint as he spoke up.

"About this special…condition of yours, there's not much to worry about until we get to a certain point."

"Huh?" Muting the TV before me just as the candidate failed miserably, I swayed both of my feet over the couch's edge whilst turning towards him.

"They are maybe attending your school and know about you. However, they are still unaware of my own presence. Thus, the chances of you getting injured are close to none right now."

"…Thanks for-"

*Beep*…*Beep*

Oh god, what now? After all of today's events you're still bugging me? Give me a break!

"Hold on, it's my own phone." That old Nokia in my hand pretty much survived since my purchase and was still unscratched. Its metallic color was even done separately with industrial paint. 'That thing could fall off a skyscraper and still work.'

There was nothing much going on inside my phone, only…

* * *

 _ _(Message was sent at 14:51)__

 _From: Martha S._

 _To: Markus H._

 _Hey Mark,_

 _Me and the guys will crash at your place in 5. Get the console ready for 'Shota'._

 _Samantha_

* * *

This was something I was used to until now. They'd often come here and just hang out, bring some snacks with them- **"THEY'RE COMING HERE IN 5 MINUTES!?"**

"…"

"Well, might want to get ready for your friends, right Markus?"

"Uhm…Korosensei?"

"Are you alright? You can tell me what's wrong if you're troubled."

"I-I…might have f-forgotten something…to tell you."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

A hand nervously rubbed my neck, anxiety replacing my features. 'C'mon! Just say it!'

"I…uhm…might have told the others about your class?"

"…"

"…K-Korosensei?"

Dashing into another room he just replied with a chuckle in his tone. "Nurufufufu~! Nothing to worry about! I'll deal with that, just don't worry!" And just like that he was already gone…

Somehow these words didn't calm me in the slightest sense.

* * *

"Sheesh, what's gotten into your pants Mark? You're usually not that nervous about us being here."

After the resigned teacher bailed on my problem, I hurriedly set up my PS4 and Xbox One to our TV. Also, yes, I have both of them so that the endless debate between these two companies doesn't include me.

Regardless, all things within our home were ready as the three entered the house through our unlocked backdoor. It was like that because Dad was currently moving the back lawn before his shift at the local club. When the 3 entered, Taro instantly jumped (literally) for the controllers and started playing some racing game; Riley decided to raid the kitchen for something edible and Samantha was polite enough to actually sit next to me and semi-interrogate my behavior.

"N-No, it's j-just…something different."

"Dude, just spill the beans! It's not that difficult! Oh, by the way, do you have some beans in there?" For everything that was holy, couldn't he just eat something at home instead of being a glutton every time he visited us!?

"Can't you just get some take-out!?" Shouting was only heard on deaf ears as the sound of cupboards opening resumed.

"No, it's too expensive these days and- wait, forget it! I found some premade stuff!"

…What.

"Wait! Hold on!" This couldn't be true. I was an absolutely horrendous cook, so nothing edible was made from me. Mom was still at 'LeBans' and my father was outside, so…who…

'…Is he actually serious?'

Stepping into the kitchen with Taro and Samantha who followed me after the semi-shout, we spotted...something unusual.

"Wow! I didn't know that your father cooked us food this fast!"

"He…didn't."

"It looks so yummy~!"

"He…actually isn't doing this…"

"Uhm, Mark? You ok there? Your face is…kind of pale."

"Nurufufufu~! Just a little courtesy of mine after hearing of Markus' friends coming by!"

' **HE'S ACTUALLY DOING THIS!?'**

Considering my mental health to have finally died down, I failed to notice how our house's residual guest appeared inside of our kitchen with an apron around his robe and a traditional chef hat on his head.

"Apologies to you, Mister Desmond! The reason why you didn't found any beans was because I quickly took them for making this!" A kitchen knife (which rested in his tentacles) pointed at our dinner table where a neatly piled stack of burritos lied there, looking as fresh as it gets.

"I also completed the task of preparing a few drinks as well, which I previously bought from a local grocery store." Something inside of me registered his words as he said that.

"H-Hold up, s-so you actually went to m-my mom's workplace?" His head changed to the infamous circle, startling all occupants except me.

"Correct! But don't worry, I managed to stay completely undetected and thus there were no further complications! Now, why don't we talk a bit over some freshly shared food? I'm sure that your companions would like an answer during this."

They all stiff gaffed at Korosensei, confusion clouding their entire mind. Luckily, they complied and quietly sat down…then turned their direction at my own face. Riley and Taro still seemed too shell-shocked while Samantha had a somewhat knowing glint inside of her eyes.

It didn't even take 5 seconds before the dreaded request reached my ears from all 3 of them.

"Explain. **Now.** "

'Oh boy…'

* * *

"This…is so much to take in…"

"I get you…the beans surely kicked in."

"Not that…you moron."

Lunch passed by in the blink of an eye, Riley and Samantha completely full from the surprisingly delicious food by Korosensei. I was still slightly shocked at his unhidden appearance before, yet his peace treat calmed me down…for now.

"Squishy~!"

"Taro…stop bugging him."

'Shota' had pretty much the completely reverse reaction compared to everyone else. Instead of being shocked or afraid, he started to stare in amazement at the strange creature and attempted to hug his head. 'I have no idea what he's actually imagining inside of his brain. Might as well not ponder about it.'

Riley distracted himself from any internal shocks by stuffing himself full of burritos. How he managed to keep such a thin waste-line even with all this food going down his throat was beyond me.

Only Samantha and I took the last 20 minutes seriously, her asking questions about his actual abilities and physique whilst I gave her the same explanation as my parents. She actually took this extremely well, given her intertwined hands and calculating stare.

"So, now that you know about me…what are your thoughts?"

"My thoughts…well, I only have one."

There was that weird atmosphere change again, this time into a more serious one where every part of tension stuck out to my brain. After what seemed an eternity-

"Why didn't you tell us about this sooner Mark!?"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN!?" Me receiving a pointed finger on my forehead was the stern response of our resident Goth.

"Are you that stupid!? I'm asking you why you never thought of telling us about his existence, duh!"

"How was I supposed to tell you that there was an ALIEN CREATURE from a FICTIONAL UNIVERSE living with my family!?"

"Well, you should have just told us regardless! We would have believed you anyways!"

"BUT YOU- what?"

Her glare softened as she took a hold of Taro's and Riley's shoulder who now shared the same expression. 'Oh…guilt trip incoming.'

"We 4 got together for a reason Markus. We're best friends since the first year at that damned school. Heck, you even managed to befriend me on the second week after I threatened to hurt you!"

"Uhuh~! And you two were SO nice to me after the other students laughed at my size~!"

"Then you all became the first teenagers who actually liked me for my personality and not for my looks! I'll never forget that magnificent moment!"

She then grabbed my hand with hers when her voice turned even quieter.

"What I'm trying to bash into your brain you dolt is this: We 4 trust each other like no one else we know, so stop whining and just tell us, alright Mark?"

…

Okay, I have seen some sentimental speeches already.

This…was nothing compared to what any drama on TV could have delivered.

Damn invisible ninjas cutting onions!

"Alright…I'm sorry…my mind was just…so nervous about this."

"For no reason."

" **DAD!?"**

How everyone managed to sneak up on me without revealing themselves was a mystery but now even my own father did it! Seriously, he just stood behind the tall blonde, a freshly cooked burrito in his hand as he spoke on.

"To tell the truth, I expected them to be the first ones you'd tell about this. I even stopped counting all those different times where you barged into each other's homes when there was a problem!" Laughing humorously at my expense, Dad took a swig from the lemonade bought by Korosensei.

"But honestly, teacher here's right. Until no one knows about him outside of our own circle, there's nothing to worry about."

"Right! Markus is the only real otaku on this school, so no one else would know about their relevance within the manga." Samantha objected at that statement.

"Riley, you're forgetting someone."

"Who? There's us, the bullies, our classes, the freshmen, the principle and- oh."

"Yeah, her."

"…Should I call her about this?" Korosensei seemed thoughtful for a second before replying to me.

"Might as well. It'll only be a certain amount of time until this person puts the pieces together."

Dad put his glass on the kitchen's counter before walking upstairs and shouting from above. "Son! Do your friends even know about the series he's from?"

I already had a stupid suspicion at that; all of them just shaking their heads and replying with a quick "No." just confirmed it. "No, they don't!"

"Then I'll grab some of the manga so that they can get a first expression about this."

"Good! I'll call her up in the meanwhile!" Grabbing the phone in pocket and skimming through my last calls, I landed eventually at the one that was displaying the woman's number.

"…She actually called you?"

"Don't ask, please."

* * *

"Hold on…are you joking around right now? Because if you do-"

"No ma'am, I swear! He really appeared inside of my room last Friday!"

Explaining yet another individual about this fiasco of a situation took its time, yet no one seemed to have minded the longer span, seeing how all 3 of my friends engrossed themselves into the first 3 releases of 'Assassination Classroom' and occasionally made comments about them. Some out of surprise, others due to enjoyment.

"Wow~! Are you really that fast!?"

"Nurufufufu~! Certainly Taro! I can truthfully accelerate up to mach-20!"

"And they really thought that low of themselves? I mean…sure, life is depressing but not like that."

"Correct. Kunigigaoka Junior High School was designed to be this way, much to the dismay of any students who were part of the dreaded 5 percent."

"Those uniforms! So much grey! They're so horrendous!"

"Well, just like any other school in Japan they were required to wear uniforms. But even in Kunugigaoka were some variations and exceptions for that rule, Karma Akabane and Nagisa Shiota just wearing 2 of them of course!"

Korosensei occupied himself with my friends, friendly answering any of their questions or explaining stuff that they didn't understand. They haven't been told about his tragic past, though only due to them requesting it. None of them felt like crying this day.

"Alright, your story would at least explain why there's the other bunch on the school. And then their teachers, ugh! So serious all the time…"

"Does that mean you believe me?"

"Do you expect me not to? The evidence is speaking clearly on this, so you're fine. Even then…damn, having a creature that can fly mach-20-" I didn't get to speak another word as our guest finally snapped from all the different words used to describe him; his face turning red simultaneously.

"Mind you, Miss Hoards; I was actually a human before turning into my current form! A woman like you should know this as you supposingly read the manga-"

"AHAHAHA! YES! Sorry for pulling your leg right there, Korosensei! I just wanted to make sure that Markus hasn't taken any weird drugs." Queue my insulted expression and me putting the phone back on my ear. The house guest calmed down and resumed talking with the others as I continued talking.

"…As much as I'm offended about you even thinking of me like this, can you promise us to keep quiet?"

"Yeah, no biggie. Since I'm mostly stuck in paperwork to correct and the teachers' room itself, there'll be not much said from my side. Also, Markus?"

"Yes Adrianne?"

"...I was supposed to keep this under wraps but Santa decided to mix a few of the high-graded freshmen with some of the higher classes' lessons. Since 3-E is sticking out in that regard, I advise you to be ready for any surprises tomorrow."

"Did he seriously- …you know what, alright. Thank you for the info."

"You're welcome. Bet your homework that I'll visit you myself soon to get a glimpse of him!"

"Alright. Bye. Until Wednesday!"

"See you in History!"

*Beep*

"And…what did she say?"

During all of my talking with Adrianne, everyone who currently sat inside of our living room had listened into my conversation. And I thought that privacy was still a thing but apparently not. Since Samantha was the most rational one of us (excluding the teacher), she was the only one politely enough to ask.

"Adrianne already had an idea on who they were; my call convinced these suspicions. Also…we'll probably have someone of 3-E within our combined lessons tomorrow."

"Wait, what lessons do we have anyways?"

"Let me check." Riley always had our curriculums on him for some reason. Thus, grabbing it out of his pocket, the school idol started telling us. "First up is Chemistry, then we're having nothing for 3rd and 4th period and lastly there's…Math."

So, Math and Chemistry, huh. That meant that Okuda would maybe land in our class…and for Math-

…Oh crap.

"Math? Oh, nurufufufu~! I think I have an idea on who might join you tomorrow!"

"And who would that be?"

"Well, there was only one student within 3-E who was exceptionally gifted in Math."

…This would be a nightmare.

…

* * *

 _(To be continued...)_

 _(Fire Me): Well then, this Chapter took me a while to plan out but I've finally done it during learning and studying!_

 _There's a lot of other stuff coming up within the next week, so I'll be occupied for that time being. Regardless, I hope this release was to your liking and that I'll see you next time!_

 _The Sir's out!_


	7. Okuda, Classes and Laziness

_*Sigh* Why can't every day be_ _this_ _relaxing? *Sips on a cup of tea*_

Korosensei: "Hmm…" *Sips on his tea* "If it would be this repetitive, where'd be the variety in that?"

Taro: *Eats a cookie* "Uhm…in sweets?"

Korosensei: "That…actually wouldn't be so bad." *Bites on a rice cracker* "Maybe every day could be like this."

*The 3 different entities sat on a round table, decked will all sorts of sweets and refreshments while the white abyss filled every angle of this realm.*

… _Alright! *Sits up* We can't sit down the entire time like this and waste precious time. Let us get on with this so that everyone can move on._

Taro: *Pouts* "Aww…but you said that I could have more stuff to eat!"

 _If you continue this, then I'll not be the one having a sugar rush._

Korosensei: "I'll even share some of my sweats with you after we're done. Would that suffice?"

Taro: *Gasps and nods vigorously* "MMHH~!"

 _First off, they're not_ _your_ _sweets. And next up, reviews! *Puts 4 envelopes on the table*_

Taro: "I'll read this one~!" *Takes the envelopes to the very left, **'FictionPWR'** written on the front*

Korosensei: "Then don't mind if I do~!" *Grabs the envelope on the other end, **'AngelofDarkness95'** on the front with the respective avatar printed on it as well*

 _Then that leaves me with these two. *Takes the two remaining envelopes with_ **'rainfall99'** _on both ones*_

Taro: "Alright~! I'll go first! *Opens his envelope and reads* **"YAY update! That's was AMAZING!"** You sound SOOO nice! Thank you for reading on like the last times!" *Waves at the camera with sparkles in his eyes* "Uhm…do you want my cookie?" *Offers a freshly new cookie*

Korosensei: "Well then, let's get the positivity rolling! *Already shows the unfolded letter* **"This is fantastic! please post more soon :D ~Angel"** "Now that is an delightful comment! Nurufufufu~! I'd like to show my gratitude by sharing some of my student's stories. Over a cup of tea and sweats, perhaps?"

 _You just want to relive your past memories!_

Korosensei: *Face turns white as a thin line replaces his mouth* "I…have no idea what you're talking about."

 _You're actually denying it!? *Sigh* Whatever, let me just make progress. Now, I'd usually read the two letters out but for the sake of personal rights and me thinking that talking about this would be too personal, I won't._

 _I could have responded openly about his comment. Yet since we hopefully settled this debate, I publicly keep this under wraps._

 _Everyone, as an author myself like many others on FF, let me give you advice…to all sole readers as well. The 3 principles that I 'personally' think are the most important include 'Chekhov's Gun', uniqueness and copyright. For the first one, just search it up. Uniqueness should be pretty self-explanatory. And the last one…yeah._

 _Just…stay thoughtful. Besides grammar and correct expressions, these 3 are literally burned inside of my mind. Getting used to actively remembering these can sometimes prove tricky, given how even_ _I_ _screw up regularly. If you just started writing, don't rush things. Take your time, stay calm and don't let others get on your throat. Have your own pace and mind, then you'll do fine. *Raises cup of tea*_

Korosensei: "Well said. Since we used a lot of time on treating this delicate topic, we're going to skip everything else within the next 10 seconds!"

Taro: "Oh! Oh! Are you going to fly~?"

 _Wait, HOLD ON!_

Korosensei: "Hold on indeed!" *Grabs both males and starts moving*

Taro: "WHEEEEEEEEE!"

 _ROLL THE NEXT CHAPTER!_ _ **SLOWLY!**_

…

*A sign plops on ground where "The story was written by MrFiretank, thus all rights involving it are owned by him~.* was written on, a smiley similar to Korosensei's face drawn right beside it*

…

 **CHAPTER 7 – OKUDA, CLASSES AND LAZINESS**

* * *

*RING*

"So, where do we head to this time?"

"Uhm…A204. The regular lab."

After the surprisingly calm fiasco that was yesterday in a nutshell, I and the others met up the next day before the school's entrance. Anxiety was written all over our faces, Samantha staying the only one who completely relaxed her expression.

For those of you who don't know, our school is split up in 6 different areas with two connecting areas in between. To the school's front on the second floor are the laboratories, used for all science and chemistry-related classes, combined as area A. Right next to them are our school's musical rooms and computers for informatics; B.

Art in C, Math in D, English and History in E. Area F is the one reserved for graduating classes. Lastly there are the connecting hallways with their own classrooms, designed for new classes and such. You know, the one where I got caught snooping around? That one-

"Move Markus! I'm not dragging your ass again like last time!"

"Sheesh, fine! Just wait up."

Stairs were something that I never liked, including the double set of them to reach the higher floor. Slight sweat was on my forehead when we arrived, exhaustion ebbing away over time.

"It already looks full. Are you sure there's that girl arriving?"

"I'm trusting Adrianne with that. She should be there soon."

Oh, let's not forget that I explained the trio about the girl who might visit us today. Samantha seemed to have no trouble with another freshman, Riley was delighted and Taro just adopted a smiling expression. 'Pretty much their usual reactions.'

*RING*

"Guys, they're starting to move."

"Then let's not keep them waiting, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yea~!" / "Meh, whatever."

* * *

Ever sat in the back of a classroom with your friends, all of you seated in the last row with bored faces and tired eyes? That's us. If you're trying your best to stay regular on everything, grades and such included, you'd do **everything** to keep it that way.

"Alright class, I'm pretty sure that you're excited for today's experiment!"

Groans filled the classroom, serving also as another lab of this school. There weren't a lot of students in here; a bit less than 20 seated nicely in the small space with us 4 gracing the backlines. Since we were so far in the back, it meant we could talk with each other without causing suspicion.

"If I have to clean all those flasks again, I swear…" The Goth was one who loathed this particular task with her entire being. Sure, some parts of Chemistry were nice. Yet cleaning something was her nightmare and with her doing not much actively, this was required of her.

"I just bought these clothes last Saturday! I can't burn them already!" ...I'll not go too much into detail with Riley. Let's just say that it involved him, a Bunsen burner and the local fire department.

"But before we begin…"

"Huh?"

Alright then, seems like this is it. The old woman in front waited until we all became quiet when her announcement came.

"Class, you're all aware of the new classes that arrived here, yes?" Walking to the currently closed door, our teacher continued.

"Well, a student from the 'OSTP' had such remarkable grades in the introduction tests that we decided to have her here with us from today onwards!"

The murmurs within all rows picked up as the students already speculated on the new person.

"Is it another girl? I hope she's hot!"

"Nah, if the grades are this high, it's going to be a nerd."

"You sure? We have Samantha and she-"

" **Don't you dare finish that sentence."**

"Quiet!"

Once again, everything calmed down in an instant, except the poor guy that was trembling before Sam's seat, grabbing onto his chair for dear life. The old woman then awkwardly coughed as her hand grasped the lab's door handle before speaking up.

"Well, please introduce our newcomer with respect! You might come in."

"A-Alright."

The air started to shift ever so slight as a timid voice answered in reply. Then, lo and behold, there she was.

The girl that that found out about Korosensei's actual chances of destroying the earth, who could be considered nothing less than a genius within Chemistry and assisted 3-E with her expertise. Okuda Manami, 3-E's most talented chemist. Her usual uniform was replaced with a red sweater and long, striped skirt. Her glasses and hairstyle didn't change in the slightest.

Walking up to the front of the class, she pretty much had the same reaction like Nagisa. That included her bowing in front of us and giving the usual greeting.

"M-My name's Okuda. Okuda M-Manami. P-Please take care o-of me!" Her voice sounded even more panicked than the petite boy's, pitching up in the end.

Silence was still resident when nobody dared to utter a word. Yet that instantly changed as the lone member of 3-E raised her head again and saw us 4 in the back, her expression turning from nervous to somewhat relieved.

'Seems like she already knows of us. So Nagisa's class' aware of what happened before.'

"A lovely introduction Okuda! And don't worry; we're all friendly members in this class." Samantha seemed like she wanted to challenge her statement, yet bit her own tongue in an attempt to stay put-

"Now then, where would you like to sit down? You can choose wherever you want."

"U-Uhm…"

'Oh oh.'

The poor girl was looking at all free tables across the room, her expression turning more panicked with the second when the decision turned out to be more difficult than ever.

"Psst, guys."

"Sam?" / "Hm?" / "Yeah?"

"That table to our right…would you mind her sitting with us?"

"What?" We 3 got confused by her offer, seeing as to how the black-clothed girl never let anyone else outside of our group sit within her row.

"Look, we already made friends with that bunch, no? She seemed less on edge when looking towards us and I'm sure that some company would do ourselves some good."

"But what about-"

"That isn't playing a role currently. Right now it's about a girl who's close to an anxiety attack and only seems relaxed with us 4. So, you in?"

"…"

'Damn, her reasoning skills get better by the day. Yet she's right…poor Okuda surely has a tough time to pick currently.'

Our teacher was starting to lose her patience, so she rudely interrupted the girl's thinking process. Still, it was surprising that the black-haired chemist didn't ask for our seat already. Seemed like as if she was holding back…

"So, did you decide or should I pick a row for you?"

"I-I…Uh…!"

'Screw it. Might as well make a new friend.'

"She can sit with us, teacher!"

Dammit, I didn't need my classmates' entire heads turning at my exclamation. Though, the faces on Taro and Riley just strengthened my resolve.

"Markus, I appreciate your group's willingness but-"

"O-Ok!"

" **WHAT!?"**

Alright, if that reaction would have been predicted by the Goth, I'd have said that earlier. Their reactions were priceless! All of them were left baffled, ranting about how this entire situation was nothing short than a death warrant.

"She really wants to sit next to these 4 slackers!?"

"What do they want from someone like her!?"

But nope! Sweet Okuda would have nothing of that. Despite her shoulders tensing as she walked past everyone else, her stance instantly relaxed when she sat beside us. She started to unpack all of her books whilst the teacher muttered something in the lines of 'having mercy'.

OI! We're not THAT bad!

…Are we?

"So, I guess that makes us Chemistry buddies now, huh?"

"P-Probably. Thank you f-for being so nice."

Man, I knew that social skills weren't her forte but even within our presence she shook slightly. Sam put a reassuring hand on her shoulder whilst our teacher spoke on. The newcomer already calmed down, even giving us a small smile as Samantha whispered.

"No big deal. Hey, the old hag said that you're talented in Chemistry? What's gotten you that interested in such a subject?"

"Well-"

"Now, I want you to pair yourself in groups of 4. Then we'll start with our experiment for today!"

The groans became even louder from around the students, yet I and the rest of the backline froze at her request. The problem was pretty simple: We were (counting Okuda together) 5 people. We'd have to ditch someone-

"O-Oh. I'll j-just find another group t-then."

…Or otherwise they're going to- WAIT A SECOND! **NO WAY** WILL WE JUST EXCLUDE HER!

"NUH UH, we're not going to kick you out because of such a stupid rule!"

"What was that about my regulation, Markus!?"

Luckily, Tcaught onto my shock and had pretty much she same reaction. Only his was more formal than mine. Taro went up from his heightened seat and grabbed her hand to prevent said shy girl from walking away. Even our Goth started to glare at the grumpy teacher.

"Excuse me, Miss. Couldn't you make an exception for our dear Okuda here?"

"You 4, I hope you're aware of the fact that I make the rules, no?"

"BUT-"

"P-Please!"

…

Did…Okuda just…

"I-I'd like to do the experiments with them! And I'd prefer it if it stays that way!"

…She actually was…standing up from her seat, a determined expression crossing her face. However, I spotted her legs still shaking from slight fear. I was left baffled at that change of heart…just like everyone else…

"…Fine. But if they're bothering you in any way, I'll put you into a group more fitting."

"Thank you!"

As she started to grab her own pair of safely glasses, she just turned to our still frozen forms. Our lab partner just awkwardly smiled before reaching into her bag, pulling out 4 more!?

"Here, w-we can't start without s-safety. Isn't that right?"

Surprisingly, I was the first one to snap out of my trance, grabbing the pair offered by Okuda as well as asking:

"…Right. But…why do you have so many of them with you?"

"W-Well, just in case I ever do experiments with other people! It's an h-habit of mine from my…previous school, yet our old…teacher always had e-enough in reserve."

Thankfully the rest of our group was back in the real world, smiling fondly at the newcomer whilst taking their own pairs. Samantha adjusted the newly acquired safely glasses until speaking up in a delighted tone.

"Well, seems like Chemistry won't be too boring from now on."

"T-There's nothing boring about that! It's really fascinating, trust me!"

"We'll…maybe take your word for it."

"I-I'm not joking! Come on, let's get to our working table and I'll show you!"

We then walked up to our resigned place, started with our first task and split up the work. However, Okuda seemed to take it onto herself to get us interested. During the entire rest of Chemistry, she somehow altered the instructions on the sheet and created some pretty fancy results. It almost backfired when that hag spotted her unusual work, yet let it go, seeing as our group was actually working actively with her.

In the end, the lesson went by like a rush and boredom didn't settle upon our faces. No joke, we actually enjoyed it for once!

"See, didn't I tell you that Chemistry is fascinating?"

"Alright, you got us there. That stuff's actually damn cool."

"Glad to hear that you liked our time together!"

It actually didn't end with Riley burning his clothes, given that Okuda operated the Bunsen burner this time. Samantha wasn't stuck with cleaning alone; We all helped her as we got done before everyone else, thanks to the chemist's help. And I and Taro just enjoyed her company. So yeah…

'We did as well Okuda…'

We did as well.

* * *

"Teacher, why is the door still open?"

"Because…we were supposed to have another transfer student here with us."

The mid-break went by faster than expected; nothing too crazy happening while our group just sat in the town's mall, drinking some overpriced coffee-related drinks. And yes, we had to buy a cup of orange juice for the small teenager. At least he happily drank it while we talked about some random stuff.

The biggest topic (besides the two) was about the local school's 'queen' causing trouble in her classes. Vee Medrano is a type of character that I'll not talk about, given that I'd probably puke before finishing my explanation.

The thing is, Samantha was the one out of us four who had a personal vendetta against her. Within her first two weeks, she quickly caught the attention of the queen, getting drawn into her group for her exceptional marks and being part of Vee's 'movement'. The thing was, Samantha was given an ultimatum just 3 days later: Stop the whole Goth-thing or leave her group of followers. Her decision was really easy, thus resulting in sticking with us 3.

Back to reality, Math was about to start…only he was still missing.

*RING*

"That's the second ring…seems like he's-"

"Don't worry teach~. I'm here, so no need to get worked up~."

'And there it is…'

I already dreaded this scenario…you see, it's because of the setup. Our Math teacher, nicknamed Sarge, was infamously known for his strict controls. Homework, attendance, even books. Name it and he'll already have you caught once slacking off with any of them.

Now, what do you get when you put that guy together with Karma Akabane himself? Nothing short than trouble, that's what. The red-haired human demon of the 3-E was exceeding within his own Math classes, no debate there. Though, his behavior is pretty much a health risk…for the rest of us.

" **Mr. Akabane.** I hope you're aware of your late arrival."

"Oh, I surely am~! You see, there was a slight problem…"

"Which is?"

"I was too bored to get here~."

…

"..."

...

It took a while for everyone to register that sentence. Even the 4 of us just froze at his reply, praying that he **didn't** said this particular response. You may ask yourself to why we became fearful at that but let me remind you! A teacher is forbidden to cause physical harm to any student…so he'd live out his anger during the lesson.

'Crap, crap, crap, **CRAP!** '

" **What…did you just say, Mr. Akabane?"** As if he wasn't done yet, the member of 3-E pulled his attitude up a notch by getting closer to his face; his infamous grin never leaving his face and hands in that pair of second-rate jeans. The light-red T-Shirt and pair of black sneakers finished his attire.

"Oh, sorry~! Let me repeat that-"

 ***SLAM***

Just as Karma was ready to taunt Sarge, he hurriedly slammed the door behind Karma, eyes shadowing over when he stomped towards the class list and wrote inside it. When that was done, he angrily closed his notebook shut and started to passively glare at us.

Oh course we were all ready to crap our pants by then. Even Sam was kind of pale…paler than usual.

And Karma…he just happily stood at the same spot as before, probably proud at himself for causing his first foreign teacher to snap so fast.

" **Open your books, we're going over your latest homework. If you don't have them with you, the amount gets tripled AND you have to do everything until tomorrow!"**

'Seriously…why god?'

"Ah, a nice change of pace, isn't it guys~?"

The four of us didn't try to flinch when the red-haired student suddenly sat in the seat to our left, both legs raised and arms behind his head. He looked like he wouldn't raise a single finger in this lesson…and somehow I had the feeling this was the case.

"Nice to meet you again~. How've you been~?"

"Good…until now." 'Can't disagree with you, Riley.'

"Meh, like I said: Didn't feel like it. Now…what are we doing again?"

This was going to be a disaster…

…

* * *

 _(To be continued…)_

 _(Fire Me): Well then, ladies and gentlemen! Even with all of my school's problems slowly racking up, I not only manage to sort them out but I also find enough time to write these stories for you again!_

 _Now, it's getting late already, my mom's acting kind of antsy and I'm actually tired. Any errors within this Chapter get sorted out over time, so don't worry about_ _that_ _. Good night and thank you for reading this latest release!_

 _The Sir's out!_


	8. Discussions, Mall and Fuwa

Adrianne: "Attention, HUT!" *Salutes*

Sarge: "Miss Hoards, may I ask what you're doing there?"

Santa: "An explanation wouldn't hurt…"

Adrianne: "Oh, fine…Sarge, Santa; these are our readers. Readers, you know them already." *Points to both sides*

Sarge & Santa: "…"

Adrianne: "You two are such killjoys…AT EASE!" *Lowers hand* "Now, we're on a time limit here-"

Santa: "The…conference doesn't start until 4."

Adrianne: "…Oh."

Sarge: "You two sometimes…" *Pushes both aside* "So Miss Hoards…what are we doing here?"

Adrianne: *Pulls out two envelopes* "Here! Our lovely readers post reviews in our story every now and then. So, your job is this: You'll be reading out both of them, react to them and give your opinions."

Santa: "That doesn't sound too bad. Alright!" *Grabs one envelope, **'Guest'** marked on the front*

Sarge: *Sighs* "If this gets us out of here faster…" *Grabs the other one, **'FictionPWR'** written on the main side*

Santa: "Now then, I'll go first. What have you lovely people written… *Opens and reads the letter* **"Wow! I just wanted to say that your writing is amazing! You're a really awesome writer! I hope that I can write as well as you someday!"** Miss Hoards, who is this person referring to?"

Adrianne: "It's about our writer. I'm not in the mood of explaining it but he's somewhat decent. By the way-" *Turns to the guest* "Don't worry! You'll find your style and rhythm over time, don't rush things and gain experience by learning or from others helping you! I'm sure you'll become a good writer in the future!"

Sarge: "Ignoring these two… *Starts reading out his own letter* **"I'm excited for the next chapter! Don't get Karma hurt though pls '"** Is… **that** person being referred-"

Adrianne: "AND OFF YOU GO!" *Pushes Sarge out of the room*

Sarge: " **DON'T** YOU TOUCH ME YOU CRAZY WOMAN! I'LL DEFINITELY-"

Adrianne: "GOODBYE! AUF WIEDERSEHEN! (Translation: UNTIL NEXT TIME!)" *Slams door in front of his face*

Santa: "That…went unexpected. So, what are we going to do next?"

Adrianne: "Our disclaimer. Just…here." *Puts a sheet of paper in his hand* "Cover all these points and we're good to go."

Santa: "Right. Now...dear readers!" *Turns to the audience*

Adrianne: *Deadpans* "And he's back into speech-mode."

Santa: "Before you continue with reading 'Survival 101 with Korosensei', let us remind you of the actual rights! Don't worry, nothing too long like my usual times-"

Adrianne: "As much as I value my paycheck and considering the fact that you just rhymed; hurry up, please!"

Santa: "U-Uhm...okay. The rights for characters and the fanfiction go to Fire, anything else to their owners."

Adrianne: "Thank you. Now…" *Grabs a milkshake and a manga out of nowhere* "…Let me have my peace before the conference." *Leaves*

Santa: *Thinks* '...Why did I hire that woman again?'

…

 **CHAPTER 8 – DISCUSSIONS, MALL AND FUWA**

* * *

'BOOORING! Why does nothing exciting happen when I'm here?'

Rows of seats and adults were currently within the teachers' room, listening to their principal and superior. However, the mood was split up between the people. Most of them actively chimed in with their thoughts for the conversation, while others…

'I could sit at home and do more research, check out new guns or read my manga! Yet, why do I have to suffer for keeping this stupid job!?' Adrianne Hoards wasn't one of the majority as her eyes were glued to the window, counting another one of various trees in the outside's forest.

"Now, after we worked out the new clubs, I noticed a few of the teachers retreating their ideas. Including…the idea of Mister-"

"Yeah, yeah. No need to talk about it anymore." Sarge was sulking the entire time on the left, asking himself why his idea for a Math club failed. 'Jeez, I wonder **goddamn** why?'

"So…we're in dire need for two new fill-ins soon. Does anyone have ideas?" Teachers looked at each other, raising eyebrows or whispering to themselves-

"If I may offer a suggestion?"

'Eh? Well, well, well…maybe now this is getting interesting~.' Suddenly getting bored from the leaves' similar edges, Adrianne turned her attention towards the literal elephant in the room; Karasuma Tadaomi.

"Certainly! Mister Tadaomi has the word."

"Thank you principal."

"Uhm…didn't I already mention that 'Santa' is fine?"

"Yes, though…I'm sticking with the former until we're more…relaxed." Everyone missed the slight twitch on the assassin's eyebrow but Adrianne knew better. There was that little something in his shifting gaze that even betrayed his façade.

"Alright, now...what is your idea?"

"I'll get to that shortly, principal. Since our class has been here for only a short amount of time, I'd like to suggest a club for learning this country's customs and differences. Other students are invited to join as well if they'd like." Although nobody asked him about his request, there were sounds of agreement all around the room.

"That's actually a good idea!"

"The foreign students would surely be grateful for this suggestion!"

"Learning such things might assist them with their grades!"

'Yeah, and allow them to roam the school freely; alone! 'Grateful idea'? Ha, as if!' Since the truth about 3-E and their two elite 'teachers' was already revealed to her, Adrianne was mentally speculating ulterior motives about Karasuma's suggestion-

"This sounds like a great idea! Why, I certainly approve of this! From here on out, Karasuma Tadaomi receives the right to open a club for the benefit of oversea-students!"

'ARE YOU **KIDDING** ME!?' It took everything in the lazy teacher's willpower to **not** leave her mouth gaping at his answer. She couldn't truly believe this, such an unchecked, unsupervised idea was actually let through!? This was...just-

Wait.

…This was maybe an opportunity to play her own cards.

Adrianne didn't actually plan on doing anything fancy for the week. Yet, when the call of her known student Markus Halyard reached her, it was like someone changed the date to early Christmas! However, his situation was somewhat…unique. If bad came to worse, his life would be in danger…something she wasn't willing to go for yet. Still, that didn't mean she couldn't lend them a hand in this matter, now would it?

"Actually Santa, may I chime in as well?"

"Hm? Oh, certainly Miss Hoards! You may have the word."

Ignoring the curious stares from both foreign teachers, she continued.

"As some of the teachers are aware, there are a bunch of…troublesome students within our rows. I'm not talking socially, I mean in the terms of grades."

"That is correct…so what is your suggestion?" Adrianne couldn't help but grin to herself.

"WELL, I myself am aware of a few of them. So, why not create a club that's meant for educating these students and helping them turn away from their bad grades? And while I'm at it, I'd like to pick them out personally. Would that be alright?" She didn't look to her left, yet almost cackled when the hateful glare of Sarge reached her presence.

"Hm…" Stroking the oversized beard on his face, Santa looked to the ceiling during his thoughts. "That certainly doesn't sound too bad. But may I ask where this suggestion came from?"

"Let's just say that a…run-in with one of them gave me the idea. Now, do you agree?" 'Come on, you old geezer...'

"...I'd have to give this some more thought." 'Dammit!'

"Still, until tomorrow everything should be set. Miss Hoards, you're the founder of our latest club!"

During the other teacher's clapping, Adrianne couldn't help but smirk victoriously to herself as she suppressed the need to look towards 3-E's teachers. She still felt their stares, yet the expression on her face didn't die down in the slightest. 'Not only that. Maybe I just scored us a huge ace in the hole…'

* * *

"Double the regular homework, is Sarge crazy!?"

"More than usually? Perhaps…or Karma just angered him that much." After our remedy within Math (and 80 additional minutes of holding our mouths shut) we decided to hit up our favorite mall…again. It was considerably huge, so even when you visited the same café twice at the same day, be guaranteed that there's 4 more at minimum.

"Luckily we could bail out before it got any worse…that man can be scary!" Seriously, if someone wasn't aware of Taro's actual age…which includes almost everyone, they'd see him as a little child pouting right now, a cup of orange juice next to him.

"So, any plans for today...Markus?"

"Wait, why are you asking me?" Riley shrugging was the only response I received.

"You always give us your opinion and ideas…when you're not stuck in your own brain, that is." I feel like this should have sounded offending but it evoked nothing in me.

Yet, considering all of the weird crap that-

…Wait, is that…

"Guys, is there a pair of girls walking at the mall's other side...one of them sporting green hair?" Surely they got confused by that statement, causing them to turn around to see what my eyes were showing.

Get this, we picked some random-ass café on the first floor with a nice outlook towards the ground level. I could have missed it entirely but there they walked…Akari Yukimura- forget it, I'll just call her Kayano to avoid any slip-ups. Accompanying her was the self-proclaimed detective and manga-lover: Fuwa Yuzuki. Surprisingly, her outfit was only altered slightly by adding a light-blue jacket to her uniform.

From the distance we couldn't hear them talking. Yet, judging from Kayano dragging her by one arm into a girl's clothing store as Fuwa protested...she must have disliked the black-haired girl's choice of attire.

"If all of them are such well-trained miniature assassins, I'd not want to find out their actual strength." Our drama queen was holding his arm in fear-

 ***SLAP***

"OW! WHAT WAS- Mpphh!?" Sam started to lean in further and whispered into Riley's ear whilst he was left frozen.

"First off, zip it! We can't risk dropping any hints about our knowledge in public. Second off, if you're screaming that loud again you'll have my **fist** in your face, **got it**?" The deadly glare that adopted itself on the Goth's face was showing her serious side…and honestly, I wanted to run away as well!

"A-Alright Ma'am!" It sounded more like gibberish but thankfully she let go of Riley's upper face.

"Good. Also, this…actually isn't so bad."

"Huh, what do you mean Sammy~?" Taro had already recovered from the Goth's fearful effect, tilting his head in his usual cute manner.

"Get this: They arrived here somewhere around the same timeframe as him, right?"

"Yes?" / "Mh~!" / "True…"

"And they are probably after him-"

"Why are you referring to-"

" **One** more stupid comment and I'm sending your ass to the school's canteen dumpster." As a side-comment, that thing was seriously stinking like hell…the container itself only gets cleared twice a month. So anything left inside that thing would mark the surrounding area with its foul odor. EW…

"But…didn't you promise Vee to send her in there?" 'Nice comeback.'

"Oh, **defiantly**. Still no, you'd be after her." 'Or not…'

"G-Going to shut up now."

"Thank you. So, since both parties are in different 'places' so to speak, we could use that opportunity to gain information." I didn't like where this was going.

"Wait, back up a moment. You want us to stalk them?" Her glare shifted towards me, so I had to raise my hands defensively to avoid any bumps on my scalp for today.

"No! I swear you- argh…no, nothing like that. We'll just walk around, do our usual business like always and maybe keep our ears open in the process. That good enough?" So eavesdropping it was.

Taro and Riley seemed to agree with her, having no problem in doing such a thing. Yet, I was (shockingly) on the more rational side this time…heh, not really.

"It could work…yet this is…still uncomfortable for me."

"Huh, why's that~?" 'Oh boy, they're not going to like me saying this.'

"Well…"

"Say it already or you'll have my hot coffee on your tongue."

"I was almost caught snooping around by Nagisa once."

"…Awww." / "…Already." / "…Moron." Told you!

"C'mon, it's not like you got curious from the entire situation!"

"…Point." Seating herself upright, Samantha started to walk away as she finished her small scheming session.

"…You guys, just do what we discussed. I'll hit some stores in the meanwhile. See you around." There was already my suspicion at which store she meant but I just said nothing as her tired steps picked up in pace.

Seeing as the blonde duo wasn't walking away anywhere, I just sat myself up as well and let Taro give me his goodbye-hug. "Seems like I'll go to the book store; got a few reservations left there."

"Okay, bye~!" / "Have fun!"

…

"Uhm, who's paying the bills Riley?"

"What do you- NOT **AGAIN** , WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME!?"

* * *

Shelfs upon shelfs wherever you looked, the smell of well-matured paper in the air and no screaming customers within the next mile. Ladies and Gentlemen, this was my favorite bookstore. Sure, not a lot of people visited this place midweek, yet they had more than enough customers to make up for such a poor business model.

The owner of this store was familiar with me, always having my ordered books at hand when I wanted…or even needed them. Sure, he was already pretty old but defiantly alive and well-kicking. He only gave me his forename once…by accident; Wallace.

"Hey Mark, back for your order, right?"

"You're right Wallace. I already paid them off, so could you please get them here?"

"Sure, just wait a minute." And off he went into the storage…

...

Damn…waiting was surely a pain in the ass-

"Excuse me, have you been standing here for a long time?" Huh? What now?

Turning around to answer whoever just-

Oh, you're not doing this to me right now.

"Sure…just one question, why are you-" I couldn't even finish my sentence as the mysterious person invaded my personal space and started talking!

"Hmmm...You're slight hesitating in your response, shoulders are tensed, pupils bigger and posture is leaning back…no coincidence; you're Markus Halyard!" Unfortunately, I was again within a situation similar to the previous ones. Currently, I think that god was doing this just for his entertainment…yeah, defiantly.

Surely, it was none other than Fuwa Yuzuki that stood before me; attire changed from her 3-E uniform into a long-sleeved T-shirt with various manga pages printed on the front, a dark-blue skirt paired with the previous shoes and casual socks finishing the change of wear. Definitely fit her style...

"Uhh…" Still, the manga detective is creeping me out, so…help.

"Oh, I did it again, huh? Sorry for being so rude, Markus-san." 'Oh, not this again…'

"No harm done…and, uh…"

"Fuwa Yuzuki. ...Or was it the other way around? I forgot…" If my anxiety wouldn't be in full force right now, I'd give her a total deadpan for that. Everyone else out of 3-E got it right and she's the first one to slip up!? Jeez…even Okuda did it correctly.

Anyways…

"The first one's fine. Also, no suffixes please, Fuwa. I'm not sure if your friends told you about this but I prefer a first name-basis."

"Right. So, what brings you here Markus?" 'Already digging for something? Or just plain curiosity? This bugs me, honestly…' Meh, might as well have some small talk while I wait...

"You see, I'm a fan of literature. Manga to be exact and maybe the occasional drama from time to time." 'Not by choice at least.' If you needed to get decent grades for subjects like German or English, reading those damn things was necessary.

Don't get me wrong, a few are actually intriguing. But only a few…

Regardless, I swear I could have seen sparkles within the black-haired student's eyes, her demeanor changing from casual to happy in a matter of moments.

"That's awesome! I also love reading manga but more from shōnen-"

"Here are you purchases! Do you want a receipt as well, Markus?" 'Just in time before things could get more awkward!' To my luck, Wallace had returned; a neatly stacked pile of manga within a cloth bag which I brought beforehand.

"Sure; not that I'll probably need it but just to make sure."

"Alright…and…there! Have a nice day!"

"Thank you. I'll surely-"

…

So…remember how I mentioned my collection of manga that sat at home?

...

Do you also remember how I mentioned the ones from 'Assassination Classroom'? There's a thing I forgot to mention.

From the 21 existing manga parts, only 19 were released in Germany. From these 19 published ones, I owned the first 18. The last and most current one…was in my bag.

...

…And the purchase of it printed on my receipt.

...

As it was just resting there in my hand, I tried anything in my might to not completely panic! This situation was worse than the other ones but I could surely bail out before Fuwa-

"Wow, you bought a lot of them! Mind if you show me one? I'd like to see which genre you're into!"

...

'Oh fuck, Oh fuck, OH FUCK, **OH FUCK!** '

Hastily pushing the crumpled up piece of paper into a random pocket, I tried to somehow avoid her request…

"Uhm, I'm so sorry Fuwa but I have to meet my parents soon, so could we delay this for another time?"

"It's just one minute at most to show me! You also didn't seem to be in a rush earlier…or in the café for that matter."

And failed miserably at that. 'SHE SAW ME WITH THE OTHERS!?'

If I wanted to keep the heat off of me and avoid any suspicion, dodging was no viable option anymore. I had to comply with her request or risk Fuwa getting more suspicious about us. Yet, if she finds the manga of 'AC' in there, it's just going to get worse instantly! So...in other words, I was completely cornered, and she wasn't even aware of that yet.

"Alright, one look doesn't hurt, I guess." My hand was sliding into the personal bag, grabbing the manga stacked at the pile's top. I was dying from nervousness inwards, yet kept my composure as I started pulling it away from the others with trembling fingers.

'This is not good, they're all in the same size! Worse yet, since the bag's made of cloth, I can't see which one I actually grabbed! **FUCK!** TO WHOEVER'S BOSS UP THERE: **HELP ME!** '

With one last mental prayer, I pulled the manga on top out, revealing its cover to the fictional character standing next to me.

…

* * *

 _(To be continued…)_

 _(Fire Me): Am I evil for leaving this Chapter at such a cliffhanger? Perhaps. Do I feel bad for teasing you like this? Perhaps. Will things turn even crazier than this? Who knows- Alright, I'll stop with this right here._

 _Thanks for reading the newest Chapter of 'Survival 101 with Korosensei'! Hope you enjoyed the latest revelations and will be back when the next one comes around!_

 _Though, here's a fair reminder for you all. I had a request by a user named_ **'Shiranai Atsune'**. _Maybe you already heard of him already since a few of his ideas got realized and turned into actual fics! Since he/she requested of me to do one, I'm taking some time to probably write a one-shot about it. Until that's done, probably don't expect another release since it will take most of my time for research._

 _Until next time and again sorry!_

 _The Sir's out!_


	9. Corners and Escape Plans

Korosensei: "Phew…at last we're finally back in this!"

Riley: "We can see that but…why is there still no one-shot like the one Fire mentioned?"

Korosensei: "Oh, that's simple: Just read this." *Hands him a note*

Riley: "Alright…" *Starts reading* _"Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay between Chapters. About the one-shot that I mentioned, I'm still working on it. There are some parts that still don't sit right with me so please wait patiently until this is done. Also, a lot of exams are coming up currently, so if there's another delay in my releases, you'll know the reason afterwards. With regards, Fire."_

Korosensei: "Truly a bit disappointing…though, there's nothing we can do. It's his business after all."

Riley: "That's right. Uhm, would you like to do the introductions with me?"

Korosensei: "Nurufufufu~! I'd be delighted to!" *Shows two envelopes*

Riley: "Left or right, hmm…meh, why not?" *Grabs the left envelope, **'Reader'** on its front*

Korosensei: "That leaves me with this one!" *Holds the other one marked with **'FictionPWR'** *

Riley: *Opens the letter and starts reading* "Oh, the beauty of reviews…what have you gotten for us this time? **"The story is amazing! All the other AC fics that I've read are one-shots and 'What if' situations, so thank you for writing this! I love the cliffhangers, and I'm really glad that I found this!"** Oh, your response truly warms our hearts! It's great to know that you enjoyed this story so far, yet I have to disagree about the cliffhangers." *Starts throwing a tantrum* "WHY CAN'T THEY JUST WRITE THE STORY COMPLETELY!? SUCH THINGS LEAVE ME HUNGRY FOR MORE!"

Korosensei: *Deadpans* "I…think that's the reason for adding cliffhangers in the first place. Regardless, let's continue on! **"Great! As always! I'm getting used to the greatness not really the cliffhangers…!"** It's nice to see-"

Riley: *Jumps in front of Korosensei* "SEE!? At least someone out there agrees with me!"

Korosensei: "That's not the point!" *Suddenly appears before Riley* "Still, thank you for reading this far into the story! It's difficult maintaining such a standard when you're not a native English speaker like Fire. However, he's giving his all to grant you the best experience…judging from his note at least."

Riley: *Pouts* "Can we just move on to the disclaimer?"

Korosensei: "Fine. Let's step it up~!" *Disappears and reappears in a set of new clothes*

Riley: "Hey, those look actually pretty- WHERE DID YOU GET MY CLOTHES FROM!? AND WHAT'S UP WITH THE WIG!?"

Korosensei: *Starts talking in Riley's voice* "To every beloved person out there-"

Riley: "That's **NOT** how I greet others!" *Stares before deflating* "Not always at least…"

Korosensei: *Continues* "What you're about to read for your own entertainment has its current rights reserved by MrFiretank. The same goes for all OCs within the story, so please respect this fact."

Riley: "Good! Now if we could finally…uhm, why are you holding German books?"

Korosensei: "Nurufufufu~! Oh, these here?" Lifts the stack of books a bit higher* "Well, since you technically are a friend of Markus and he falls under my care in terms of grades…"

Riley: *Thinks a bit before paling* "…That'd mean you'd be responsible for me as well since I know about your identity…"

Korosensei: "Correct~. Now, why don't we start with your grammar and right wording- …where did he go?"

Riley: *In the distance as he's running* " **NO WAY IN HELL** WILL I LEARN VOLUNTARILY!"

…

 **CHAPTER 9 – CORNERS AND ESCAPE PLANS**

* * *

"…"

"...Uhm…so…what do you think?"

I should have never visited this place today. I should have never gotten my orders from Wallace. I should NEVER have asked for-

"S-Sorry for prying in!" 'Wait, what!?'

Just as I was expecting the worst, Fuwa pushed the manga back into my bag and bowed deeply. There even was a heavy blush on her face. Seeing as this kind of creeped me out, I grabbed into the bag and picked the first manga on top, trying to figure out why she just-

…

Oh.

 **OH.**

"I-It's no problem Fuwa. You don't have to bow like that, you were just curious…" Well then, the guys up there did help me…but not in the way I expected them to, referring to how a SEINEN manga was in my hand, the first manga copy of 'Ghost in the Shell' to be exact. Luck was on my side this time…

'THANK YOU! THAT WAS CLOSE!'

Yet, the previously happy freshman was still bowing and…shaking? Oh, what have I done…more damage reduction from me I guess?

"H-How about I bring you another manga tomorrow? One from the series that I like the most?"

Don't worry; no way in hell would I give her a copy of their own manga.

Oh hey, look! Happy Fuwa was back! Well, not completely as the blush was still visibly there but luckily her demeanor calmed down. Instead of speaking she just nodded and shyly waved at me, walking out of the store afterwards. Though, I didn't take any chances and patiently waited in front of the checkout before collapsing on my knees and releasing a deep breath that I didn't even know was in me.

'Fuck…that was WAY too close…I need to bail out of here and get that copy of 'Assassination Classroom' home!'

Call me a douche for just running out of the store with Wallace worryingly shouting at me but I didn't want to take any chances. So, I did what every person would have done that time: Hightail it into the mall's closest restrooms and phone up my friends about this crisis.

Ignoring the weird stares from the other gentlemen on my way there, I hurriedly ran into the most far away stall from the entrance, grabbed my phone and hurriedly messaged the trio. Took me a few minutes but it was properly sent to them.

* * *

 _(Message was sent at 15:12)_

 _From: Markus H._

 _To: Martha S. / Desmond R. / Dwayne T._

 _Change of plans!_

 _We need to get out of here, NOW! There's something in my bag from the book store that could reveal our knowledge to_ _them_ _; almost got caught by one of the bunch on accident! Meet me at the mall's entrance in 10!_

 _Markus_

* * *

'Alright, now, let's get away so that-'

*Creak*

"And Nagisa? What do you think about our new school~?"

"To be honest, the first days kind of went by unexpectedly harsh…but at least we made some friends, Karma."

"Although you did stir up some trouble for the native students…"

"And I already told you Isogai; almost all of their teachers aren't better than our old ones. Maybe the principal's alright while I also heard about some other exceptions."

'And as if the day couldn't- no, wait. Murphy, don't you dare!'

Got out of one corner and I instantly get thrown into another one, oh great…still, I'm sitting inside one of the stalls so they shouldn't know that I was there…

Maybe this was my chance to gather more info!

Their footsteps rang a few more times within the cleaned room before I heard them closing their doors. Surprisingly, they continued talking whilst I just activated my recording software on the phone before closing it held the piece of technology closer to right.

Yeah, I am a douche for doing this but seriously: You'd have done the same thing!

…Maybe?

"So, tell me: Did we get something interesting so far?"

"Not really. I mean, there wasn't any lead to him yet but we're still investigating."

"Bummer, although it's good to know that he's here…somewhere."

'Shit…they're still looking for Korosensei. Why though?'

"Did Karasuma-sensei find anything on the other students? Rapidly sky-rocketing grades? Unusual behavior? Anything at all?"

"Nothing, Nagisa. Well, we just have to lay low for now and try to find-"

*Vrrr*

...

"..."

...

'… **WHY SAMANTHA!? WHY** **NOW** **!?'**

Flipping open my phone, I saw that Samantha sent me a response message…in the worst possible moment of all time might I add!

* * *

 _(Message was sent at 15:14)_

 _From: Martha S._

 _To: Markus H. / Desmond R. / Dwayne T._

 _Shit! I'm sitting within a changing booth at that fancy clothes store on the first floor. Think I saw the entirety of 3-E's girls here as well! If they find out about whatever the fuck you're carrying around, I'll be trapped by them as well!_

 _Or in short, GET OUT OF THERE OR WE'RE DONE FOR!_

* * *

"Hey, is that your phone Isogai?"

However, I wasn't looking through my phone to look at that. If they find me in here, they'll probably want to talk with me and I BET that Karma would love to snoop around my cloth bag. So, I had to either bail out (which would probably not work since those 3 could catch me on a fly) or somehow get them...out of the-

'That's it!'

"No, Nagisa?"

Starting to look into the menu I used the old phone's input to search deeper in my files. Making matters worse, I had to do this VERY carefully to not create a lot of sound from the button presses of my Nokia. Reliable? Definite yes. Good for espionage? Not in a million years. Luckily I already had a plan…somehow formulated in my mind.

"Not mine, either. It came from here, though."

'C'mon. C'mon! C'MON!' I was suppressing the urge to quickly spam all buttons…barely holding on to it. I luckily got to my dozens of audio clips and found just what I needed. A huge curtesy from a friend of our group; the guy decided to take an actual job, yet left us this useful present before his departure.

"Huh? Hello, is anyone here with us?"

"Are you sure there was someone? Could have been the ventilation system or something…"

"I'm sure. Whoever's in here, are you alright?"

"C'mon, we're not shy now, are we~?"

'Even in a public restroom he's this cocky? Sheesh, give me a break!' To my fortune, I just had to press a few more buttons and reached the audio file that I so desperately missed. One last press and no more turning back.

"Hey, are you-"

Here it goes.

"Oh, I'm sorry…the conversation was just interesting to hear. You see, I don't get to witness many events in my age…"

"U-Uh…"

"…"

Alright, this was my plan: What I just did wasn't me talking. Oh, no everyone. This was one of the many (and pretty useful) audio recordings taken from my good friend's relatives; mostly his grandpa. Best possible quality so no one could hear a difference, even when it came out of that old piece of 'junk'. Perfect against teachers and suspicious students.

Plus, they couldn't see my lips moving anyway, so I was safe for now. If I'd have used my real voice, they'd probably notice the cover-up. Thus: Glad to have these files on me!

"O-Oh, we're sorry for this, Sir. M-Me and my friends just talked a bit about our new school…"

'Perfect! Isogai took the bait! Now for the second part…' Quickly searching the second file as he mentioned our school, I found and played my possible ticket out of this mess.

"School, hmm? Ah, I remember my own days…as if it was yesterday."

Note this: It took everything in my might to not burst out laughing at my plan to literally embarrass them out of the room. Not to insult the older generations but you have to admit that talking with an elderly person for possibly 1 hour about school in a public restroom isn't the most comfortable situation.

Additionally, just the thought of trolling the trio next to me was worth it…although I felt slightly bad for Nagisa again...and for Isogai…alright, fine! For all 3, there, happy now!?

Good thing was, they seemed to have the reaction I desired as their voices became more…fast-paced.

"K-Karma! Nagisa, you're done, right?"

'Oh, here we go~.'

"Y-Yeah, h-hold on…"

"I…was just waiting for you guys. Apologies, Sir. Seems…like we'll have to delay this talk for another time." Even now Karma didn't stutter. Damn, he's good…

"M-Maybe when me meet a-again? I-I'm sure your tales could be interesting to listen to!" And of course Isogai goes for instant damage reduction.

' **YES! THEY BOUGHT IT!'**

Good, all I had to do now is find the right file and…there! Bingo!

"Hmm, sure, I'd be delighted to. Though, I'll probably sit in here for a few more moments if…you know what I mean."

"R-Right. Again, apologies for our rudeness…"

"I'm s-sorry as well. U-Until we meet again, Mister."

"Same as…my friends."

And with the combined sounds of 3 teenagers hurriedly walking out of the restroom, my goal was reached. I managed to save my own hide today…twice. Still, no time for celebration. First, that manga has to disappear or else I'll stay a walking hazard to me and my friends.

Speaking of friends, I still had to get out of here and reach the entrance.

'I got this far already, don't fail me now luck!'

Getting out of the stall after using the toilet for real…and that was really necessary, hands slowly pushed the restroom's door slightly open; I was peeking through the small gap to maybe spot someone from 3-E.

…Okay, I was possibly just paranoid now. Yet, it could have happened!

...

…Right?

…

…No? Meh, whatever.

Besides some random guys and the occasional shopper, no one was in the area like before. My bag was still feeling heavy from the complete anxiety, though another ring from my phone interrupted any further comment. Like last time, it was a message from my friends.

* * *

 _(Message was sent at 15:19)_

 _From: Desmond R._

 _To: Markus H. / Martha S. / Dwayne T._

 _Why didn't you say so earlier!? I don't remember all of the characters that you showed me but I'm_ _really_ _sure that some of them were in the arcade, including that Yukiko! Luckily Taro spotted them before your message came or I'd have publicly freaked out!_

 _We're on our way to the entrance; up on the first floor currently and we can already see it. Though dude, look ahead when you're there. Big threat ahead and they don't seem too happy…_

 _Riley_

* * *

"Well, at least I know now who he just meant…"

It could have been bad enough if a student from 3-E was in front of the entrance. It could have been worse if multiple students stood there. But I just didn't get a mouthful today and dearly paid the price for it now…

"Where are the other guys? Weren't they supposed to return here a minute ago, Taisei?"

"Got a text from Rio just now. It says that Fuwa encountered someone before here and they're on the way back."

"Good, waiting any longer and I would've started scaring others for fun…"

"What do you mean with 'would have started', Hazama?"

"Nothing Takuya, don't worry about that~…"

"Uh…"

And as if representing the final boss of an MMORPG, none other than Ryōma Terasaka and his personal 'friends' who looked 2 of all 3 sides of the entrance's pathways were there. Taisei Yoshida had a brand-new phone and a pair of keys in his hands. If I remember correctly, he was skilled as a mechanic…

Regardless, he was watching the left hallway of the mall's ground floor together with the other one of their own trio: Takuya Muramatsu. There was a huge bag of groceries in his hand while he looked ahead…luckily not from 'LeBans'.

Then there were the two more threatening ones…Ryōma just sat on a small bench whilst impatiently observing the right side together with 'The Darkness of Class E': Kirara Hazama.

No joke. Remember the codenames? Yeah, Fuwa gave her that one. There was a small novel in her right hand, just close enough in her field of view to read whilst watching others. Seriously…it made her look like a stalker.

…And I didn't even know if my guess was just a joke or dead serious.

Yet, in the middle path: No one. And just before me…sweet freedom.

Anyways, they all wore only slightly modified versions of their uniforms; the boys missing their vests and jackets, only wearing shirts, pants and shoes with socks from the originals. Uh...almost. Hazama had the clothes' version of her future-counterpart, the old expression staying-

"Dude! We're so done for!" / "That's not nice…" / "So we're stuck with that group; crap."

'God, they're finally here!' Turning around, my own trio of friends stood there, all of them either wearing poker faces or just being worried ten times over (guess who). I couldn't even give them a short "Hello" as Samantha (somehow) fished the receipt out of my pocket, unfolding it from its messy state and scanning all lines…

Uhm, had scanned all lines until she probably found the purchase listing of my 'Assassination Classroom' manga on there. Her face seemed slightly angered (presumably) by my stupidity, yet closed her eyes as she tried to rant her anger away.

"Honestly, this would be better if it weren't for these 4 'individuals' at the front. Should anyone else stand here outside of the ones that directly know about us, we could just step outside and be done with it." Her expression shifted to the different students and how they behaved, her eyes slightly softening when Hazama entered her focused view.

"Right…seriously, I'd prefer Fuwa over all 4 of them currently-"

It was actually pretty calm around us, though Taro quickly pulled my arm and pointed to the middle of the mall's layout where-

'Oh. My. **God.** '

Murphy, I get it already. I just thought of these magical words before and you punished me for it multiple times.

'BUT ACCUMULATING THE OTHER TEENAGERS OF 3-E IN A GROUP A FEW WAYS AWAY FROM US!? **ARE YOU ACTUALLY HAPPY SOME TIME!?** '

So…this was our situation: 4 of us stood in one of the multiple hallways leading to the mall's middle court where…all of the other members from mentioned class stood there. Isogai was sort of overviewing them, probably checking if none of them were still away.

Then, the remaining students sat or stood close to the entrance whilst checking the side hallways. How they didn't even consider looking into our direction yet was a wonder that I'm definitely grateful for.

Now, the middle hallways are (unlike the side ones) not connected to any stairways, elevators or restrooms. To give you an even better understanding on how screwed we were, let me give you the possible outcomes from this:

Our best case scenario: We get out of here scot free, nobody is any wiser about the piece of world-breaking knowledge that could endanger us and everyone stays happy.

And our worst (and most probable) case scenario: We get spotted, they'll flock us and somehow one of them sights my manga copy. What would happen to us after that; I wouldn't imagine the results myself…

"Guys, any ideas?"

"I need more to think! Argh, just a bit!" I could already see Sam over-heating mentally in a desperate search for a way out unspotted.

"Taro? Riley? Anything!?" Yeah, I was full-blown panicking by now.

"Uhhh…uhhh…" Ok, Taro was out for this one. Our only hope-

"Can't w-we just b-book it out of here!?"

...Was not any wiser.

There wasn't any chance of escape for this one. They were all there, together and left no escape routes that we could take to avoid them at all costs…

"…"

…Expect…one individual could help us out.

...

'This is the most stupid gamble that I've taken so far…'

Without speaking another word, I flipped my Nokia open and quickly went to the contact list. Finding the number we needed to (desperately) save our asses, I hit the call button and waited a few agonizing rings until my only savior picked up.

"Hello, Markus! What can I do for you~?"

After all, who could've gotten us out of here faster than the individual they're searching for?

"Hey Korosensei, I…need your help for an escape…"

"…I'm listening."

…

* * *

 _(To be continued…)_

 _*A note laid on the table instead of Fire being here*_

 _Sorry for my missing presence! I (sadly) have to do a lot of things that will take my time for now. Although, next up there'll be the promised one-shot from the request before the next Chapter will go live. I hope to see you next time and you'll still enjoy our small story!_

…

 _The Sir's out!_


	10. Blackouts, Saves and Clues

_Hello! (Hello! Hello!) Hm?_

Korosensei: "Oh, sorry! I left the microphone on…" *Turns it off*

 _Why was it even on in the first place?_

Korosensei: "Well, people have to enjoy their free-time somehow, no?" *Chuckles nervously*

… _You sang karaoke again, didn't you?_

Karma: "Of course he did~. Here, I even have some pictures of him dressing up as-"

Korosensei: "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, MISTER!?"

 _Uhm, since this part of the story doesn't tie into canon, he…and everyone else could technically come and go from this place as they please. Without them remembering their experience of course, after all it'd ruin the plot if they were aware of this._

Karma: "Sweet~! This means more opportunities to tease the octopus~."

Korosensei: "What have I done to deserve this…" *Retreats into a corner*

Karma: "Uh…since when was a corner there? Isn't this space like…I don't know, infinite?"

 _Laws of fanfiction, you'll get used to them. Now, let's get back on track and start with the reviews! Today we got plenty of them here! *Shows 4 envelopes* Now, take your pick!_

Karma: "I don't know what this entire business is but consider me in, though not always." *Takes a middle one, **'FictionPWR'** printed on its front*

Korosensei: "Trust me Karma, it's better to just go with it and enjoy the comments. Again, some of them have been quite entertaining!" *Grabs the left envelope, **'Zane Alias'** printed on it*

 _Right! They might appeal to you more than you'd think. *Shows the last two ones to the audience marked with_ **'Reader'** _and_ **'Guest'** _whilst opening them*_ **"Ooh! I can't wait for the next chapter!"** _Guess you don't have worry about that anymore! And... _**"This story is amazing!"** _Thank you! The praise is appreciated. So_ _fr_ _et not, dear readers and guests! We're already at your service to provide more entertainment!_

Karma: "To think that this loon's actually in charge…"

Korosensei: "At least he provides me with sweats every now and then."

Karma: "Fair enough…at least in your case. Now, it's my turn, hmm? **"OK you have no idea right now of how hard it is for me not to shriek. It's REALLY awesome. Absence forgiven!"** A certain fan-girl of yours, perhaps~?"

 _I swear to the god that's forsaken Markus a few times already: If you start teasing everyone around here like this, do it at least when_ _I_ _'m not around._

Karma: "Awww, can't even handle a bit of teasing now, can't we~?"

 _Grrr…Korosensei,_ _ **please**_ _continue on before I begin to tilt…_

Korosensei: "Nurufufufu~! Gladly, my dear author! So… **"Using asterisks to show action isn't the greatest. Or-"** Uh…the letter suddenly stops there."

 _Really? Wait; let me see for a second. *Turns the envelope around and reads a bit before frowning* No wonder it stopped there. Zane tried to…pose whilst jumping on a table._

Karma: *Chuckles* "Alright, I have to admit: That is entertaining to hear~!"

 _If you want to pose professionally, either watch 'JoJo's Bizarre Adventure' or any fan show from Mettaton. Both will help you either way, since- *Poses dramatically* posing can be achieved by_ _ **anyone!**_

Karma: *Deadpans* "Again: That guy's writing all of this?"

Korosensei: "I've already come to acceptance with…this fact. So, let's do our disclaimer real fast and get right on with our story!" *Switches instantly into his announcer-costume* "Ladies and gentlemen of this wonderful audience-"

Karma: *Steps before him and interrupts* "Rights go to 'MrFiretank' for both the story and OCs. There, done~!" *Walks off happily*

Korosensei: " **WHY** KARMA!? JUST **WHY**!?"

 _Roll the next Chapter or he'll try to do it_ _again_ _!_

…

 **CHAPTER 10 – BLACKOUTS, SAVES AND CLUES**

* * *

"Are you sure this will work!?"

"Yes. Remember, with my unmatched speed there's almost nothing that I can't solve. Now, do you see a spot fitting for our preparation?"

It was surprising on how fast that teacher had developed a plan…he roughly needed 10 seconds and a very short description of the students' locations to get ready. 'I just hope he knows what he's doing!'

"Y-Yes…just to my left."

"Perfect; now: Give the cloth bag to Taro and step away from him before my students get too close. Meanwhile, let Riley and Samantha do exactly as we told. And remember to keep it natural!"

"Right. Sam, Riley: Your act."

"Got it!" / "You so owe me for this." Whilst sweating bullets in our previous location, Taro took the bag with both of his hands as the other two split up into the individual directions.

Our original idea consisted of getting out of here unspotted. Yet, that went out of the window after realizing just how all of class members (excluding Ritsu) were present. So, to ensure our chances of escape, we needed a distraction first.

And honestly, these two were our best bet at the moment. I'd be too nervous to speak calmly and nobody would take Taro seriously; they'd just stare at his cuteness and that's that.

"Hello there! It's so sweet that we meet again~!" Okay, Riley is going for the first half now. And Samantha…

"Jo, aren't you four friends with Nagisa? I think we haven't even introduced ourselves."

She also filled in her role. Good, I only needed to watch the clock on the wall and wait until a full minute passes before our plan could come into play.

'Alright, she's doing her job as well. Keep for show rolling for one more minute!'

* * *

"That's true. I don't think we're already acquainted personally, right?" Desmond Riley was currently playing his first part of their plan. Honestly, it bugged him to know that his best friend dragged him into another catastrophe like this. Though, the blonde couldn't be mad at him for long…it wasn't his fault anyways.

So, being the charming figure of their school, he decided to buy him the required time by sweet-talking the students into his charms.

"Oh, hey Riley! I-I didn't expect you to be here!"

"Ah, Nagisa~! So this was the class you told me about? You seem like a nice bunch, if I'd say to myself."

The short male walked in front of his group while they all stared with varying degrees of interest (or realization in some cases). Nagisa nodded, turning around to see his friend's opinion about his 'intended' request.

"Yeah. W-Would you like to introduce each other?" A chorus of agreement rang behind the petite boy, signalizing Riley his time to shine.

'This will surely take over a minute! Now, do your part Markus! Taro!'

* * *

"And what makes you think that we're interested in you?"

"Sheesh, woke up on the wrong side of life today, huh?"

Martha Simmons wasn't one to talk around the bushes. If there was something that bugged her, she'd outright say it. However, it was painfully obvious that neither the daydreamer nor the midget were suitable candidates for the quartet of scary students next to the entrance.

Riley could have been a choice, yet he volunteered on taking the backside, leaving the Goth of their group with a single option left. And the moron before her wasn't doing her nerves any favors.

'Mark seriously owes me for this…'

"WHAT did you say, girly!?"

 ***SLAP***

" **OI!** What was **THAT** for, Hazama!?"

"For not only raising your voice like a buffoon but also for interrupting the sobbing of these scared kids." Samantha didn't realize that the only other girl close to her did her that favor, yet the sudden change in positions and the burning-red hand mark on that guy's face was worth it.

'Well…that's one way to solve things.'

"Excuse that idiot next to me; he's usually so loud that not even the vultures would circle above him…" Putting a hand before her presence without lowering the novel in the other one, she stared with those piercing eyes at her. 'Or even through me?'

"Kirara Hazama. New student from the 'OSTP' and 'friends' with Nagisa Shiota. Yours?"

'A bit…okay, actually a lot on the mysterious side but blunt like I prefer it.'

"The name's Martha Simmons. Though, call me Samantha and I think we're going to get along just fine."

"What do you think about novels?"

"Meh, not a lot of worthy titles. Although, 'The Count of Monte Cristo' was a good one."

"…I agree, we should get along rather well~."

The 3 groans behind the Goth's back were worth it for her.

* * *

'49, 50, 51…come on, come on!' Every second felt nerve-wrecking whilst I watched passively onto the clock's metallic hand. 'Just a bit more! 58, 59…60!'

Usually when other people would think about a guy waiting for time to pass until 15:23, they'd simply shrug it off as normal. However, would they have considered something unusual to happen, then they'd have taken my presence a bit more serious.

Luckily, no one noticed me smiling relieved as the world around us suddenly turned dark.

"What the!? What happened!?"

"Why's everything so dark all of a sudden!?"

"Did the mall have a blackout!?"

'Now for your part, Taro...' Of course, my vision was also affected by the sudden change in lighting. Luckily, we had our gaming freak with us who relentlessly stared at the exit and thus wasn't even slightly effected by Korosensei's sabotaging.

Since we were so close to getting through with this, let me tell you our full plan. We only had to eliminate the risk of 3-E finding the 'Assassination Classroom' manga in that damned bag. Only Fuwa was aware of its existence (who was currently distracted by 2 things at once), so we decided to just smuggle the damn thing out before anyone could have noticed.

That's where Korosensei's speed and Taro's 'specialized' vision came into play: We couldn't risk him getting caught on tape somewhere, so we went for the next best thing that could have helped us…

Literally causing a blackout by fiddling around with one of the mall's many fuse boxes. Specifically one located on the roof; not a single security camera included!

Now, then we combined that already unexpected scenario with additional distraction to eliminate any chance of them noticing me or 'Shota'. Can you already guess who's doing that part?

"Everyone! Please calm down! Just listen to my voice and stay calm!" Prince charming…

"Before any of you panic: SHUT IT AND DON'T START RUNNING!" And Miss Goth were the insurance for any other scenarios including the student's turning attention.

Okay, I get it. I'm explaining a lot of technical nonsense to you without getting to the juicy part, huh? Fine. The whole idea behind all of that last-second plotting is getting Taro to sneak past the 3-E quartet and hide that manga either in my home or someplace where no one would even dare looking.

And no, I'm not talking about the trash can. I paid good money for that thing!

'I can't feel another presence close to my legs. That means he's already sneaking his way out! GO TARO!' We didn't have a lot of time to complete this. The emergency fuse would kick in soon (according to the octopus), thus speed was of the essence.

I seriously didn't know how this could go-

"AHH!" ***Thud*** "UFF!"

…What was that?

"Hey, did someone just trip? Is that person fine?"

He did make it out of here, **right**?

*PING*

"Ladies and gentlemen! We're glad to announce that our lighting failure is about to be fixed by the mall's staff! The lights will resume their working condition now~!"

…

I seriously hoped that this was a hoax. Since the bright light began blinding me again, I couldn't actually witness the result of our 'master' plan.

"Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah, just tripped on- **AH!** "

' **WHAT THE-!?'**

…

So…guess I didn't include a few factors in my plan, huh?

First off: I miraculously failed to spot the little 'Wet Floor' sign resting on the left side of the hallway. It wasn't actually properly put up like it was supposed to be. No, some dimwit tried to get his shopping cart across a narrow part and actually placed it aside...

Then we got Dwayne Taro, the guy that was supposed to be the spearhead of our operation…laying on the floor, sprawled out limbs and a look of utter shock crossing his features. The bag of…questionable value nowhere to be seen.

Oh, and Itona Horibe stood before his tripped form with- **'WHY DOES HE HAVE OUR BAG!?'**

I didn't know if the fact that it was empty really counted anymore. Instead, its contents were thrown…or rather scattered all around the duo. Even with my shock still there, I needed to help him out. **FAST**.

"Taro! Are you ok!?" Maybe it didn't help our cause if I just attracted the attention of all 3-E members around us... 'Screw that! If I don't get this thing out then we'll put Korosensei **AND MYSELF** at stake!'

"Wait, let me help." **NO!** NOW ITONA'S ALSO PICKING THEM UP! HE EVEN LOOKS AT THE COVERS! COMMENCE DISTRACTION!

"H-HOLD ON! I-I'll do it! Don't worry! Let me just have my bag back, please?"

"It's nothing for me. I want to prove being the s- …being helpful anyways, so just let me take care of this mess." 'HE'S STILL GOING ON ABOUT BEING THE STRONGEST!? OH GIVE ME A BREAK!'

I didn't even notice it but my friends seemed to have picked up on my tense…or rather 'breakdown'-like fear, so they actually ran from their positions. Riley and I quickly decided to take one side whilst Taro and Sam quickly got rid of other ones. Even then, the previous 'killer' got his hands on a lot of them due to his unhuman speed. 'The one time I actually feel like Korosensei's training isn't playing in my favor.'

To put it lightly, I skimmed over every manga cover that I could get my hands on. None of the few ones was the dreaded copy. Frustration rose, seeing as none of my friends actually got it as well.

'T-That could o-only mean…'

I dreaded to look at the close teenager between my friends. He was standing there, perfectly frozen with his eyes tilted down in a way that denied me any possibility to see which emotion was there. Though, at this point I was literally done with everything. I mean: Getting thrown under the bus 3 times in less than half an hour sufficed to let everyone enter the mode of not caring about anything.

So, I just recklessly spoke with him.

"Are you alright there? Something interesting caught your sight?"

The tension around us only increased when my friends started to sweat due to anxiety. Even Samantha was paling slightly! Yet I heeded them no mind as I just wanted a response from the short student.

"…"

"…Hello?"

"…It's fine. I apologize for not responding at first. Here." The cloth bag that was thrown at me got almost dropped due to Itona's suddenness. Luckily it bounced off my chest where I could finally grab it. Judging from the look of the regular dressed kid, he was curious…and not shocked?

'Alright, that doesn't make sense anymore!' I practically ripped that thing open to see if this cursed thing was still in there…only to find nothing but the other ones.

…

What.

"Markus! It's getting late! We won't catch the bus for you to get home, remember?"

"Huh?" A hand clasped around my shoulder rather roughly, that being the work of Sam who (still nervously) started pulling me away under a façade of annoyance. She had already dumped the other manga inside the bag beforehand while the other two boys were right behind us.

I heard Riley talking to the surprise guest of this event. 'Just like he always does.'

"We'd like to thank you for helping us out, although you weren't obligated to do so…"

"It was nothing difficult for me. See it as a way of thanking you for helping our friend."

"Alright- Oh my! We didn't even properly introduce each other! Desmond Riley, at your service~!"

"Itona Horibe. New student and part of class 3-E. You were in a hurry, so until next time."

"Right, thank you again Itona. Farewell~!" The hurried steps of our group's tall blonde rang behind me as I finally found the willpower to look behind me. There they all stood; the fictional characters of my favorite anime who are looking for the one person I'm trying to hide.

Even the quartet standing close to the entrance was so confused by the sudden events that they simply ignored our quickened pace, which finally allowed us to move outta here.

To be fair, if Korosensei hadn't appeared last Saturday in my room I'd have never believed them to be the real deal. It was…so sudden. All of this felt so weird…

'I really need a break from this. Preferably in the internet, with my gaming friends and a few headshots in between.'

Finally, after all of this agonizing chaos, fresh wind and rays of the sun crossed my face as we exited the mall in one piece, letting me calm down from all that adrenaline. My friends weren't fairing any better currently…

"I'll just go home, sleep and wish my life to already be over at this point." Samantha didn't show any signs of exhaustion or strain, yet her expression clearly told me of her being mentally done.

"Can someone…" *Yawn* "…carry me home?" Like his actual size, Taro tried to propel himself against Riley's legs. His eyes started to close rapidly and his stature seemed almost sluggish.

And Riley…

"Hmm? What are you all so tired for? That was an exciting day, wasn't it~?"

"…" / "…" / "…"

"G-Guys?"

"…I'm too tired to even attempt hitting you. So consider yourself lucky…"

"She's right. I'd probably maim you for that statement." / "I want to go hoommmeee…"

"Did someone order a lift~?"

Wait, who just- oh, yeah.

Being actually grateful for her sudden presence, I couldn't help but already relax as the familiar white sedan of my mother pulled up next to us. The window was lowered when she came to a stop, her phone in one hand where 'Guest' was shown on its screen.

"Mom? Aren't you supposed to either drive or chat? Not both?"

A lazy eye roll combined with a smirk was her semi-serious response as the unlocked the doors to let us get into our spots (with me taking the passenger seat) whilst finally driving home. Realizing that nobody was at risk anymore, I finally asked her.

"Not to say that we're ungrateful for your arrival. But…"

"How I arrived here? You can thank Korosensei for that one. He called me right after my shift was over and I got here by driving above the speed limit."

"But…won't you get a ticket for that?"

"Ha! Not really!" She just chuckled even while staring at the filled road before us. "The police around this part are even lazier than you kids in school these days~. So there's nothing to worry about."

"Can't disagree with that statement, Miss Halyard." At least Samantha was respectful enough to refer my mom like this.

"Oh, how many have I told you already? Just 'Darcy' is fine! I feel like our grandma if I get called like this!" All of us had to chuckle after that. It was the one line she always used when someone close to us tried to be polite.

"By the way, Korosensei's at home with it. Care to explain what exactly he meant?"

"…I'll tell you later, alright?"

For now, I hoped for Friday to be around soon. I needed the weekend to build off my tension.

…

Wait, I forgot the homework! 'That meant another lesson with Korosensei! Please not today!'

* * *

"Kaede."

"Hm, oh hey Itona~! That was so nice of you to help them before!"

"…"

"You actually…wanted to help him, right?"

"…It was only obligatory. Now, you felt it as well, didn't you?"

"Huh? What did I feel?"

"There was more than just that blackout…even with the sudden brightness; I could feel something passing by me…"

"…!? Y-You don't actually mean-!?"

"I'm sure of it. Korosensei…he was there. But why?"

"No clue. Although I hope that we'll soon get a chance."

"We all do. And when it's time…we'll finally kill him."

…

* * *

 _(To be continued…)_

 _(Fire Me): I'M BACK! After dealing with a lot of business involving school, my teeth and a lot of other projects I have returned to give you the Chapter(s) that you've been waiting for! Though, I'd like to keep these notes short and-_

Adrianne: *Out of nowhere* "'BATTLE SCENARIO'!"

 _GAH! AT LEAST GIVE ME A WARNING NEXT TIME!_

Adrianne: *Ignores Fire* "Everyone who wants to partake, this is your challenge: Just like Markus and his friends, you'll be stuck in a side hallway between two groups of students you want to avoid at all costs; one of them blocking the exit for an unknown amount of time. The goal is to not get spotted, leave the mall and bring a copy of the 'AC' manga with you just like them. "

*Puts fingers up* "Additionally, there are a bunch of stores to your left and right, filled with lots of wares. However, they're only zoned by glass panels so hiding inside of them is not an option. Plus, risking to leave the bag somewhere would also be a bad option since any of them could find the thing by simply looking, much more recognize it when considering Fuwa."

*Grins* "You get a joker, to your salvation. You can let Korosensei do one thing outside of the mall that doesn't attract the attention of 3-E's students directly at him. Other than that, good luck and happy survival. I look forward to reading your ideas~."

 _I…guess these are our ending notes. Though, I'm curious on what you can come up with! Good luck and until next time!_

 _The Sir's out!_


	11. Scheming, Clubs and Operation I

Adrianne: "…" *Sulking*

… _*Mashes buttons*_

Korosensei: "Honestly you two…can't even introduce yourself to our guest…"

Nagisa: *Deadpans* "Just…what are they…doing, Korosensei?"

Korosensei: "Ah, that's a simple a question to answer~!" *Draws a small comic with last Chapter's events*

Korosensei: "In the last Chapter, Adrianne requested from the readers if they'd like to partake in one of her special lessons. Technically a very clever idea-"

Adrianne: *Shouts* "Only that **NOBODY** volunteered!"

… _*Mashes buttons* C'mon! Where's the damage!?_

Nagisa: "And him?" *Points at Fire*

Adrianne: *Grumbles* "He's been engrossed with some weird RPG for the last week, so his concentration dwindled quite a while ago…" *Shakes her head* "Although, him being like this wasn't too bad. Allowed me to look up some more rifles for my collection~."

Korosensei: "And me to buy some more snacks~."

… _Huh? *Notices the people around him* Hey, when did you guys get here?_

Nagisa: "Uhm…just a minute ago; nothing to worry about here."

Adrianne: "Now that everyone's mentally attentive, could you get your head out of the gutter and move your ass over here?"

 _R-Right… *Cough* …So, it's been a while, huh?_

Korosensei: "I'd not say a while, since the latest holidays kept everyone busy. You included."

 _Yea…yet all that food was worth it. I'm still full…_

Nagisa: "W-Where are we? And…w-who are you, if I may ask?" *Stammers*

 _Oh, apologies for being so…uncaring? The name's MrFiretank and I'm the reason you're here in the first place; me being the writer and all._

Nagisa: "What writer?"

… _If I'd explain that to you I'd break the 4th wall even further than I already do._

Nagisa: "Uh…"

Adrianne: "We're serious here: More of that stuff and Deadpool would make a fan-entrance. Also, if you're hearing this: **Please don't**."

Korosensei: "With introductions out of the way, let's get this show rolling~!"

 _Ok! Uhm, since there haven't been any submissions toda_ y…

Adrianne: *Mutters to herself* "Unlike usually…"

 _That part will get skipped and we'll just move on to the disclaimer!_

Nagisa: *Notices Korosensei behind him* "K-KOROSENSEI, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

Korosensei: *Face turns white* "Nothing. Why would you suspect me doing something?"

Nagisa: "You're holding up my left arm! AND YOU'RE STILL HOLDING IT!"

 _I…wanted to ask you if you'd volunteer anyways. So, you in?_

Nagisa: "A-Alright. I guess…this isn't too hard to do?"

Adrianne: "Not really~! Here." *Pushes a small note into his hands; shoving him forward* "Just read the text out loud and you're done!"

Nagisa: "Understood…so, hello everyone!" *Waves nervously at the audience* "I'm sure that you already heard our conversation…"

 _4th wall, Nagisa!_ _ **The 4th wall!**_

Nagisa: *Stares* "U-Uh…alright? So, j-just so you d-don't forget about it… 'The rights for 'S101WK' go to MrFiretank as well as his OCs…' Can I l-leave already?"

Adrianne: "Sure, there's the exit for our place." *Points towards the back*

Nagisa: "T-Thanks!" *Hurriedly walks away"

 _Korosensei…normally I'm not one to judge but didn't I explain to you that Nagisa's supposed to visit us…uhm, I don't know…_ _ **voluntarily!?**_

Korosensei: *Sweats nervously* "I a-admit that I m-might've-"

 _Drop it! We've got a Chapter to go through! Lights! Camera! Action! Roll the next Chapter!_

…

 **CHAPTER 11 – SCHEMING, CLUBS AND OPERATION I**

* * *

After yesterday's multiple events, a painful explanation to my parents about my bought manga and us trying to not freak out from this information (including Korosensei making strawberry chocolate as a peace treaty), the regular hours of school returned on Thursday.

So, with my homework in hand (which was not completely forced to be done by the octopus…) I waited for our teacher to finally collect it.

Well, even that turned out different. At least in a humorous way for me!

"Alright everyone, at least be honest with me: Who actually did their homework and who just asked the upper classes for last year's copies?"

To always come up with new homework tasks is supposed to be difficult, according to Adrianne. But then again, she's the kind of teacher who doesn't even attempt to check who does them regularly. Saved my grade quite a few times already!

Multiple hands rose from our class members; mine included. Meanwhile, some others uncomfortably squirmed in their seats, avoiding the lazy deadpan of our History teacher who didn't even try to be mad at them.

"Fine. Give me the copied ones. I'll just grade them with the same results like last year. Bonus points for self-effort, deal?" 5 minutes later there were two piles of papers on her table, none of them marked and sloppily stacked…

'Sometimes I wonder if she's even qualified to be a teacher-'

*RING*

"Alright ladies! Move out of the room or I'll give you a grade down!" Though, you have to give her credit for every choice of words. All of my classmates pretty much bailed before I could even blink. Only I was left inside, packing my stuff without any haste.

"…Alright, what's the real reason for this?"

"Hehe~! Perceptive as always, Markus." She visibly relaxed as it was only the two of us inside of her classroom.

Don't you dare get the wrong idea! We aren't that far yet.

Anyways, she grabbed her flask of…questionable substance, taking a huge swig from it whilst taking out a few papers from her bag. "Ahhh, that hits the spot~! Now, you know that club activities are resuming tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah. I still won't join one, nothing interesting for me…"

"About that…you'll have to."

"Of course I won't- WHAT!?"

Whilst my mind was carefully figuring out the meaning of her answer, a stack of documents was roughly shoved into my hands as Adrianne's grin turned somewhat sadistic. 'She's enjoying this way too much…'

"I hope you have a **good** reason for this crap."

Cue the 'hurtful' expression. "Oh Markus, do you have so little trust in me?"

"…"

The second ticked by; my teacher hoping to get a response out of me. Yet after a few more moments, she switched into her regular expression. Being annoyed, that is. "Gah, even you? I should really work on my humor…"

"Maybe you should. Now, what is this actually about?"

"Glad that you ask. So, we're both aware of this…situation of yours and have had contact with them."

"That we had. But seriously, why are club activities related to my 'special' dilemma?"

"…What would you think about 3-E having unrestricted access into our school grounds?"

"...You're kidding?"

Honestly, that would be a disaster for my attempts at keeping everything secret. Not only could they freely investigate anything within the area-

"Judging from your face, you already got the idea. Imagine: Them getting these rights…outside of the normal school hours."

"…H-How bad?"

"The bad news: They were granted club rights."

"…"

"…"

"He...H-hehe...good one, Adrianne..."

"I'd normally say this as a joke...but I'm currently dead serious about this."

"..."

"..."

THIS IS NOT A DRILL! I REPEAT! **THIS IS NOT A DRILL!**

"BUT!"

My nerves were already fried from the last days, so this better be good or otherwise I'll have a breakdown once I arrive at home. And no amount of self-cooked goods from Korosensei could save the remains of this aftermath…

"I get it. Your situation sucks, nothing shorter than that. However, I at least managed to level the playing field."

"And…that has to do with it."

"Yes. This will allow us to have an edge." She finally decided to stand up and take her bag. Her feet were almost out of her room but not before she turned to look at me, her expression turning somewhat…softer. "If this scenario will turn into a war, you'll have my full support. Know that."

"…Alright. Thank you, Adrianne."

The playful expression returned just as she opened the door. "Hey, if I get to witness your rag-tag group going up against the infamous 3-E, how could I not assist you~?"

"…Forget what I said."

"Aww, we had such a good moment!"

* * *

"No."

"Come on, she already filled out the papers!"

"Is it going to be fun~?"

"Maybe. Markus, why did you say are we part of that club now?"

Getting my friend together was one thing. Getting them to agree joining Adrianne's terrific plan was completely different.

So, now I had to play negotiator while our house guest was cooking snacks in the kitchen.

…Though, I think he just wanted to stay away from this boiling point since he's been in there for 10 minutes already. Do the math.

"The 3-E was allowed to create their own club, that's why Adrianne thought of this to be a good idea."

"…Maybe she just worsened the situation for us. Creating a club back to back seems surely suspicious for some of them out there." Samantha seemed rather annoyed with the situation, yet her curious expression betrayed any actual emotions.

"Perhaps. But leaving them out there by themselves is too big of a risk in my opinion…"

"…Uhuh?" / "Agreed."

"So, what do we do now Mark?"

'What we're supposed to- what? Hey!'

"..."

Come on, don't you dare look at me with the expecting gazes! I'm not your leader!

"Well, this is a rather delicate spot you 4 are in." And there he finally showed up…

"Korosensei, why did you take so much time right there!?"

"Nurufufufu~! Sorry for causing you this trouble, Markus. I just wanted to finish all of these goods for later."

"…Fine. About that…"

His face didn't change in the slightest, yet a tentacle rested under his…'chin', giving him a thoughtful expression for those that watched him; the apron he wore over his uniform dissapearing simultaneously.

"Although you 4 aren't obligated in joining her plan…it wouldn't bring any instant harm in doing so. In the end, this would be your call."

So we aren't getting any further with this, dang…

ALSO STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE-

...

'…They seriously don't want me to…'

...

"…" / "…" / "…" / "…So?"

They're actually serious.

"You're actually expecting me to do the decision. Out of everyone here. **ME** : The most unfitting person for pretty much all situations!?" Throwing my arms into the air only put more emphasis onto this stupidity.

" **Markus**." And so I completely shut up. The semi-serious stare of our Goth held frustration within it. Still, she had a soft touch in there. 'That means she's serious about this…'

"Listen up, because I'm only rational enough to say this once." Nod and shut up, me. "There are quite a few reasons on why I think you deserve to choose. You want me to list the most important ones up?"

"…Yes?"

"Ugh…fine. Look, the biggest reason for our 'stupid' decision is because you're the most affected one by this. You and Korosensei should have the call due to that."

"True…" So far I could follow her. If mentioned teacher gets injured, I suffer from that as well…but she wasn't done yet.

"And the reason why we chose you over Korosensei is this: You're the only one of the two who could openly show his face in public and be part of this club without getting a few dozen BB guns pointed at himself…or worse."

...Not like the military of this world could actually damage him.

Actually…maybe they could but I don't want to test it out too far. I still value my life, thank you very much!

"That and, no offense Koro, we like you more than him." Our poor guest turned a bit away at her comment (pretty sure that he got slightly offended by that), yet Samantha stayed strong as she turned towards Taro and Riley, hoping to get them onto her side.

Even then, her stare wasn't required since both of them already stood up and sat next to me, giving me a solid and reassuring grin that spoke volumes…

"I've had my fair share of leading positions! Trust me, it'll be a cakewalk!"

"We can share cake~!? Yea! Let's do that with Ms. Adrianne while walking~!"

Or maybe not so much in the case of 'Shota'.

"Heh, not actual cake squirt."

"Aww…can we still have cake, Sam?"

"Sure…we can get some later. Now, are we're going to do this or not? We'll follow you regardless if you care or not, alright?"

…

Damn, I really had some awesome friends. What did I do to deserve them?

Oh yeah, annoyed one of them almost to the point of physical violence, then proceeded to use said aggression against other students and then used the acquired cuteness from that to bait the last one into a circle of friendship.

…Seems legit.

"…You guys are **so** going to regret this."

Her punching my shoulder lightly was worth that joke. "Don't stretch it; once we're with you, nothing's going to get us off your ass."

This really is a nice change…at least a bit of reassurance in the middle of this show. Jeez, I could jump from joy at this!

Maybe…I will do that later, who knows?

"Alright then, now: We're supposed to meet up tomorrow with Adrianne at 3:40 PM…"

* * *

*RING*

"Glad to see that you 4 actually showed up~."

"Glad to see that you're still an alcoholic, Adrianne."

"Heh, feisty as I prefer them, Ms. Simmons."

" **Don't** call me that."

The break was already over, bored students left the area and the left-over teachers scraped together the masses of remaining kids for their club activities. Meanwhile, the classroom of Adrianne Hoards has been rearranged so that a semi-circle of chairs was facing her desk.

Though only I and Riley actually sat on them properly. Quite frankly, Taro just plopped on the ground next to us, engrossed in yet another mobile game while Samantha took 3 chairs to form a make-shift cot; her bag acting as a pillow.

…Otherwise, Adrianne was her usual self.

"Uhm, Ms. Hoards-"

"Riley, how often did I have to talk to you due to 'lacking behavior'?

"…Quite a few times?"

"And how many of these times were related with me being called 'Ms. Hoards'?" You could feel the inner disgust at these words…

"A-All of these times?"

"Great! So you know what you did wrong?"

"Y-Yes Ms. H- …Adrianne."

"Good. So, first up there's the usual crap we have to go through. In our case, you should actually read it." The whiteboard's soft humming filled the air whilst Adrianne was typing on our school's main page which featured all upcoming events and regulations concerning the students and / or staff.

…Hey, it was good when they announced free days or breaks. Don't you dare say otherwise.

"There it is: The forum for rules and boundaries. Now let's see…technology usage? Bah, get that out. Cleaning the school grounds? Doesn't concern me… Ah! Club 'Do's and Don'ts'!"

'Whoever chose that name was hopefully fired.'

"Here, I'll search up new anime in the meanwhile. Tell me when you folks are done." True to her words, our teacher simply opened a new tab, downed the size of our school page in half and promptly typed 'Upcoming Anime' into the search bar.

Now, the rules themselves were pretty…simple to be honest. Yet they didn't ease our nerves as they told us the ugly picture. Also don't worry, I'll not just simply read down the entire damn thing…

Summarized, all clubs are permitted to roam the grounds freely during club times, normally starting after the 8th lesson on Thursday. In addition, a club's overseer could (if permitted) pick out almost any rooms outside of the faculty ones for meetings. Lastly: Members are allowed to use school equipment as long as it tied into their actions and rules.

Or in short: Karasuma and his colorful troop of miniature assassins could do as they pleased without pissing off any members of the staff.

Now beware: All of these rights are not only granted to 3-E…

They're also granted to us.

"Okay, so what are we supposed to do with this?"

"These will be the foundation for 'Operation Cyclone'. I managed to reserve one of the rooms under another teacher's name who's also a regular there. I think that the idea itself should be self-explanatory pretty soon."

Our teacher (who was completely brain AFK the entire time) finally got off her seat, took a remote from her bag and pressed (obviously) the huge red button on it-

"Whoa…" / "What the!?" / "How did…"

Ever played third person games or any shooter like that? You get the usual idea. If not: You're missing out on something! So, take that point of view…and put yourself in it.

To be exact, take our position and imagine a live feed projected onto the white…board…

"…This is illegal."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Markus~!"

Yeah, a red point beeping behind us is clearly not indicating a camera set up behind us. Not at all…

"Don't worry, they've not been purchased anywhere in this country or by myself. So no one can trace them back to us…I think."

"I get that they're small and all…but what about the light? And the fact that their color scheme isn't…blending in?"

Instead of giving me an answer, our teacher simply rummaged deeper into her bag as a piece of cloth was covering her hand, fishing out-

"Woah…" / "Okay, where...?"

"I had to call in some favors from the local shops but they surely did their work."

What she had grabbed were 4 similar cams, all of them not even bigger than a few centimeters. However, the cams had all been altered in their design…they were perfectly colored to fit into the images that have been lying next to them, perfectly hiding them due to the detail and shading. Plus, the LED lights were completely removed from these ones.

"…I hope these guys aren't going to cause our demise."

"Luckily not, Samantha. The thing is, both of the guys, a private artist and an electronics engineer-"

"Mall?"

"Nah, outskirts. They both owed me huge favors and I made them create these puppies~. Both are pretty unknown around these parts and they promised to tell any information about these to **no one**. Heck, I even ordered from them to use gloves whilst modifying them!"

"And…where did you get these cams in the first place?"

"Ex-husband, Markus. Ex-husband." Okay, do I have to make an explanation about that right now? No? Good.

"I've only touched them with the cloth as well. In short: There's nothing on them or from them that'd allow these kids to trace our group back."

"Okay…so. You got 4 miniature sized cameras which are untraceable and possibly illegal in any right or form. So, what are you going to use them for?" Out of everyone in her room, Riley seemed like the most skeptical person here…

Wait…now that I look at the pictures closer, they seem quite familiar. Almost…like…

"We're seriously violating some laws with this! Also: Are in insane Adrianne!?"

"Ahahaha! All's fair in love and war my dear student~!"

"Markus, what is the lunatic talking about?"

" **OI!"**

"…Remember how I was almost caught snooping around?"

"Yes?" / "Uhuh!" / "Still do." / "Only heard from rumors about some weird kid stalking others…"

'Wait, those **actually** exist!?' Adrianne was only sentimental enough for a sad shrug but at least she felt a little bit of compassion for me…

"Hey, don't look at me! I'm only reciting the stuff I heard." Nevermind.

"…Anyway, the pictures lying right there…are similar to the interior of their room that I looked in."

"He's finally starting to get it!" She took all of the pictures back with her cloth-covered hand, smirking like a Cheshire cat during that.

'I start to regret ever siding with her…'

*Clap*

"Now, who's ready to produce our newest reality TV show? Any volunteers~?"

…

* * *

 _(To be continued…)_

 _(Fire Me): Ah, New Year's Eve! Normally I'm supposed to make some sort of resolution at that time. But whatever! I'd rather chill and relax instead of promising myself to lose weight whilst carrying the next chips bag upstairs of many. Why don't I make_ _that_ _into my resolution? Because I'm a sloth, that's why._

 _Also, I wanted make this Chapter as a small gift of sorts for wrapping up this year. I had a heck lot of fun mixed together with a few downs and am glad that all of you are still here. Thanks for reading this little piece of 'literature' and I hope you haven't been bored to death by it._

 _You can pretty much thank Eurobeat for carrying my ass to work for this part. And_ _ **I'M NOT**_ _meaning 'Running in the 90's' or 'Déjà vu'! There's more out there than these two…and yeah, I know that some other songs are as popular as these two, but hey! Those don't get constantly mentioned…except 'Dancing'._

 _Yada yada, I hope you have a nice celebration and happy 2018! May this year_ _not_ _completely screw us over!_

 _The Sir's out!_


	12. Preperations, Rain and Replacement

Korosensei: "Uhm…" *Looks around* "Hello? Anyone attending?"

…

Korosensei: *Thinks* "This is weird…where are the other-"

*STAB*

Karma: "Missed me~!?" *Attacks again*

Korosensei: "KARMA!" *Throws himself at him* "I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU'RE HERE! I THOUGHT THAT EVERYONE HAS LEFT ME!"

Karma: *Struggles to get free* "Let…me…GO! This is…absurd!" *Finally throws him off*

Korosensei: "Good to see that your skills are still active! Now, do you know where everyone else left?

Karma: "No. I actually just arrived here…and tried to ambush you." *Sighs* "Guess you'll never make it easy, would you?"

Korosensei: "Nurufufufu~! Where would be your challenge otherwise?" *Face turns green-yellow*

Karma: "But…ugh, this is not over." *Turns around*

Korosensei: "Hmph, be like that all you want later. Right now we have something else to do!" *Reveals today's reviews*

Karma: "This again? Fine…" *Grabs the front envelope, labeled with **'FictionPWR'** *

Korosensei: "This is part of our usual routine, so please try to bear with me."

Karma: "Alright…as long as this doesn't take too long." *Opens the letter and reads* **"Lots of awesome updates~ I'm excited for what's coming up! By the way, tell Karma that if he uses my comments to tease people again I may come running after him…with a knife"** "…"

Korosensei: "Well that is a…uh…unexpected message?"

Karma: "I'm not sure if I should just stay polite or run ahead…still…" *Turns towards the camera* "You're always welcome to try~. Who knows, maybe you're good for a prank or two~!"

Korosensei: "Don't you dare drag our readers into this mess! Now, where was I? Ah!" *Reads his own letter marked with **'Reader'** * **"Wow! These chapters are amazing, like always! I can't wait for the next one!"** Good to know that our adventures don't bore you or anything like that! Thus, have fun reading the next following release!"

*THUD*

Karma: "OW! What the?" *Examines a bigger letter on the ground, marked with **'Guest'** *

Korosensei: "Hmm, let's see what that last-minute submission is about." *Opens the letter* **"By far one of the best and most creative storyies ive ever red. KEEP IT UP."**

Karma: "That sounds pretty...huh? What's this?" *Picks up a sheet next to the letter* "...Teach?"

Korosensei: "Hmm, yes?"

Karma: *Shows the front* "I think you owe the Phillipines an apology~."

Korosensei: **"EEEHHH!?** " *Reads the letter for himself* "T-THAT WAS UNINTENTIONAL! I **S-SWEAR!** FRET NOT; I SHALL GO REPAIR THE DAMAGE AT ONCE-"

Karma: "Aren't you…forgetting something~?" *Smirks*

Korosensei: *Starts sweating nervously* "Uh, not t-that I think so! W-Why would you suspect anything?"

Karma: "Admit it! You're just afraid of me ruining your moment in the limelight~!" *Leans closer*

Korosensei: "Gah! FINE! So could you please respect your ex-teacher's embarrassment and complete the disclaimer for us!?" *Turns away*

Karma: "Haha! See; he's always good for a laugh." *Still stares at the audience* "So, since Mr. Tentacles over here isn't in the mood for anything fancy, I guess you'll have me doing this part. Although I'm not sure how often we'll see each other, I'll say these words so you can get to the part you came for."

Karma: *Smiles more relaxed* "The stuff written below is owned by the actual writer of this fic and creator of the OCs: MrFiretank! If you have any complaints, go bug him~! Anything else goes to their rightful owners."

Korosensei: "Well done Karma! Now we can begin with…uh, Karma? Why are you holding an Anti-Me Knife?"

Karma: *Smirks sadistically* "No reason at all, Teach~. Just relax and let me do the work."

Korosensei: *Flees as he screams* "THAT DOESN'T SOUND SOOTHING **AT ALL!** "

 **...**

 **CHAPTER 12 – PREPERATIONS, RAIN AND REPLACEMENT**

* * *

"Mark, how much does Adrianne earn for being a no-good teacher? ...Damn it, hold still!"

"Not much if I remember. Even without any actual numbers, she doesn't drive anything fancy or wears any unusual clothing. Those…cams are really difficult to place."

"No kidding, the backsides feel like soap. Anyways, doesn't she always throw money out for booze or guns? Or manga?"

"…True. Ok, got my second one ready. You have any progress to report?"

"Gah, just give me…one…more… **second!** There, done!"

Ever heard of the miniature ships in a bottle? You know, the ones that people willingly put together only to throw the damn thing against a wall because they fail at pulling up the sails? …That's like an old trope in some cartoons or movies.

Yeah, I felt like these cams were just as difficult, if not harder to install than those. Dear hobby builders, I gained more respect for your work and will still never touch one of these god-forsaken things in my life. EVER. Sticking the surveillance equipment of Adrianne into the correct spots was just too stressing. With gloved hands nonetheless.

*Beep*

"Hey Goth, Sloth! Are you done over there or do you need an invitation?"

"Shut it, Adrianne! We're the ones doing the dirty work for you! Be at least a bit grateful!"

"And me organizing everything and getting the cameras in the first place doesn't count? Oh, how you wound me!"

"Please Adrianne, could you save the banter for later?"

"Fine, fine. Though, you should hopefully be done soon. Club activities won't go on forever and 3-E's maybe going to enter the place again."

Our small group of teenagers had to somehow decide two of us to install the cameras within the room. As no one of us volunteered (which I can perfectly relate to), we decided to figure out who would be our 'sacrifice'…with Rock, Paper, Scissors.

I can already feel your stares at my face, judging me for such incompetence. Though mind this: Samantha never even bothered with having a plan for that, Riley's luck saved his hide like usual...and Taro was…well, I don't know. But I swear that he somehow won this unfairly!

So, this ended up with me and Sam sneaking into the room while Adrianne acted as our scout from her classroom which conveniently granted her a good view towards the connecting left corridor. She could single out all possibility of any 3-E member stumbling in there since she knew which room they got assigned to today…hopefully.

Meanwhile, our teacher kept up contact via. mobile radio. Which-

"Uhm, guys? Trouble's incoming in 15! Hara and Takebayashi!"

'…I just had to jinx it, didn't I?'

"Please tell me you got the cams installed?" Wow, Adrianne sounded pretty nervous right there…

"Ready for activation. How long are they going to-"

"Wrong question you smart-ass! You need to get out of here!" Okay, desperate was actually closer to-

'Hey, don't yank on my arm Samantha!'

Right, we had entered the room unnoticed so far…since that wasn't difficult at all. Only the installation of these fricking cameras cost us so much time! Anyways-

"Markus, have you had a shower yet?" I didn't like that look on her face…

…And I liked it even less at how she's pointing to the window on first floor height; rain storming…outside…

"…Do I have a choice in this?"

"10! You should really make a move!" You're not helping my position, Adrianne!

Instead of answering (or reassuring) me, Sam simply rushed to the window and pointed at the mossy ground. "Do you **want** to get caught or not?"

"…No." I just hoped that this would turn out fine.

"That's what I thought. We'll just hide outside on the platform and wait until the coast is clear." She opened the sliding panel, allowing us to easily step into the wet cold and closing the…JAMMED WINDOW-

"Markus, maybe lend me a hand or two!?"

"R-Right!"

*Creak*

"5! They're closing in on the door!"

'C-Come on you stupid metallic junk! MOVE!'

The window's frame was supposed to be moved easily, yet even whilst almost crushing its handle from the inside, it simply wouldn't budge! If I wouldn't be in such a positon right now, I'd ask myself if the janitor even did his job…or the school's mechanic for that matter.

"They're at the door!"

"This isn't getting us any further! Brace yourself!"

"What do think you're- **AHHH!** "

* * *

"Thank you for accompanying me to the classroom, Takebayashi. I swear that I wanted to eat my lunch in time but-"

"Say no more, Hara. Actually, I was supposed to get some gear for Okuda as well, so I'm also here for a reason."

"Right."

*Creak*

"Just let me get her-"

*THUD*

"…Did…you hear that?"

"Yes. That came from outside. Actually, wasn't Terasaka assigned to close the window?"

"He usually does it. Why do you ask?" *Munch*

"…Just a suspicion." *Thud*…*Thud* "Hmm…this is weird…"

'The window isn't entirely open like in our previous lesson…yet it also isn't closed like it is supposed to be…'

"Uh…Takebayashi?"

'Was someone inside? Maybe...but there's no one outside or close to it that I'm seeing. Could he just have forgotten his duty? Perhaps. Even so, who could have possibly entered-'

"Earth to Takebayashi! Are you still here?"

"H-Huh? Sorry Hara, just thought of something."

"Alright. Still, you shouldn't think too much right now. We've got to get back soon, remember?"

"Agreed."

*Creak*…*Clink*

"You got everything?"

"Yeah. Let's hurry up."

…

'That was unusual. Might have to let Terasaka be scolded for that…'

* * *

"That was close. Might have to let the janitor be scolded for that…"

Considering my leg flaring up slightly in pain, the freezing wind outside and rain pelting my clothes or hair everywhere…I felt horrible. However, that was a considerable small price to pay as my only female friend (of the same age) pressed me onto the outer stone wall of our school, unnoticed.

"Alright…you good Sam?"

"Yeah, I'm dandy. You good?" At least she was honest with me. She didn't try to hide anything, so that was fine for me.

'Should I mention-'

"Forget it, I can see the twitching on your face. You had a bad landing, right?" Out of all people, her own face turned slightly remorseful; probably due to her regretting the latest decision.

"Yeah. Don't worry-!" I couldn't even take a single step before I almost tripped from the sudden shock of **NOPE** surging from my lower leg. It honestly hurt like crazy and I won't try to deny the fact that I whimpered like a small…puppy. Not going to cuss like a sailor around here!

"Whoa!" Yet I let the savior grab my arm and yank me up once more. Seriously, our Goth was carrying me to safety and victory…quite literally.

"Watch where you step, idiot!"

"Sorry…argh…I wish I couldn't feel my leg right now."

"Another stupid action like that and I'd be glad to help you there."

"…Can we just get out of this weather?"

"With pleasure."

If someone ever told you the sentence "Look before you leap", take them seriously…I would've done so before…

"Okay, so which entrance should we take?"

"The one for our schoolyard's the closest. Let's take that one."

"Alright boss."

It only took us a solid minute to get there, disregarding our sour mood and wet clothes. I felt like a sponge, thrown into the ocean. Samantha didn't fare any better, only being able to barely ignore the storming weather with her other hand used as a cover.

"There, now let's get ourselves some dry towels and-"

 ***SLAM***

"Sorry you two! Entrance only for non-losers~!"

…This is the literal worst timing to deal with this crap.

Remember the rumors between Samantha and the school's queen? Yeah, I didn't over-exaggerate when I mentioned the sheer hatred for each other.

Introducing: Vee Medrano a.k.a. our school's 'queen'. Long, brown hair paired with tanned skin and skimpy clothes simply screamed to everyone: "Hey, I'm a huge b****!" She always enjoyed tormenting the more awkward students and tried to bring the 'popular' ones together.

Actually, she also tried to get the…nerds of our age together with her group, offering them fake-popularity in exchange for pre-made homework and unpaid tutoring lessons. That included Samantha during her first days here…which ended up horribly for both parties. Another reason for our friendship was thus the combined hate for this very girl.

" **Vee** …quit screwing around and let us open the damn door!" Yep, just calling her out by her name spat acid and other toxic substances around her. Apologies for everyone who stands close to her these moments.

Regardless, Vee was currently jamming the door before us by pressing onto the handle on her side with all of her might. Even for being such a stuck-up diva, she actually possessed some physical force…and since Sam was holding on to me, there was not much power left from her side.

"Oh hey, if it isn't the **skunk** and her introvert loner~! Didn't even see you there!" The amount of fake-politeness made my head hurt from these words.

Also, that nickname was earned by Samantha for her type of clothing combined with her pale skin color as a contrast. As for mine…it hurt, even if she said the truth.

"CUT THE CRAP! Open. The fucking **DOOR!** " I was grateful that the Goth didn't drop me even during her outburst. Her face started to turn red from all of that suppressed anger, even while standing outside in this weather.

"Tch, didn't your parents teach you to stay polite while talking with others? Oh right! They're just as depressed and braindead as you are!" Okay, I was also feeling the sudden urge to bash her skull in right there. Sam was miles ahead of me…that sadistical grin on Vee's face fueled our hatred.

Only, there was no retort from her…only sudden silence and stiff muscles.

"…"

"Oh, did I upset you Sammy~? Sorry about that…maybe the cold weather will cool you down! Ahahaha~!" Using one of the spare chairs on the hallway, she reached out to it whilst keeping the door shut and proceeded to jam our entrance with it.

Laughing in glee at our dismay, we could only glare or growl as she happily walked away with a jump. Samantha stayed entirely silent, her completely wet bangs covering her eyes.

"..."

"I…I wish that she would just…"

"We all do Sam…now, do we have a backup entrance?"

"Yeah…l-let's just take the front one."

"Right."

Maybe if I hadn't been concentrated on my injured leg…maybe if the rain hadn't blocked my vision…or if her hair hadn't obscured the view of her eyes…

Maybe then I would have seen the single tear running down her face earlier.

* * *

There weren't a lot of things that killed the mood of Adrianne Hoards. Sure, a few scowls or glares were always present but that didn't stop the teacher from living her hours in glee as the weird stares of other students brought her joy!

Though, after she and the group of 4 did their work yesterday, things went south in less than 24 hours. Alcohol not included afterwards due to that.

First up were the reported events that took place after the operation's preparation. Markus and Samantha were the unlucky ones when they got chosen to do the job. If she had known how yesterday's events turned out she would have done the work herself.

It wasn't a huge surprise to see both of her students walking in, drenched in rain. But that wasn't what actually bothered her. Oh, no. What bugger her was the sprained ankle of Markus and the lone tear streak running down Samantha's face.

Even if she tried to deny it, Adrianne couldn't help but genuinely care for these kids. Behind all that banter and bad joking around, she didn't completely disregard these 4. They…kind of grew to her before all of that 3-E thing started.

They weren't like the regular bunch, always striving for good grades or simply ruining other kids' lives. Those guys simply lived after their own code, lifestyle or morals. Something that she respected.

So, seeing two of the four in such a condition made her blood boil. Sure, Adrianne suppressed most of these emotions to not scare any of them away…but that seemed unnecessary after Markus, Riley and Taro spotted the tear on the Goth's face.

To say that they were ready to draw blood right there made the History teacher proud.

Now, she sure as hell couldn't settle the score herself for two reasons: She wasn't a parent for any of them (even if Adrianne sometimes wished she could be) and being a teacher meant to either stay in line…as much as possible or risk getting fired for misbehavior.

That technically didn't matter since Santa never tried to overview them all. Sometimes a surprise visit or two but that's about it. Yet, even he couldn't stand idle if Adrianne would smack Vee in the face with an encyclopedia of WW2.

Also, it wasn't her fight in the end. She wanted to help them out somehow; she really did! Yet they all refused and stated: "She tries to mess with us again, we'll get her back tenfold. Promise?"

That didn't satisfy her completely, so today there was 'special' homework for the only class including Vee Medrano in her bag. The only difference? Miss Medrano's homework will be 3 times as long…and include parts of a topic that's supposed the come up next year in the earliest.

Back to the beginning…the other reason for her moody behavior was about to come up soon.

Adrianne didn't know why or how but she surely didn't take kindly to her sudden 'promotion' as a substitute teacher for another guy's English lesson. Normally she would sit in her old Fairlady Z by now, drinking another milkshake whilst relaxing in her pride and joy…or her 'Baby', as she likes to call her with jazz playing in the background.

Still, being a teacher meant sacrificing some happiness for the greater good…

'Yeah, 'greater good' bla bla some stupid superhero talk included. Honestly, why can't Santa just assign another teacher for this?'

*RING*

'Oh, he's responsible for my monthly pay. Right…'

She wasn't told as to which class she had to play babysitter for, yet at least they were supposed to wait in front of her own class…room…

"…I'm seriously spending too much time with Markus. His bad luck's rubbing off of me, I swear."

Walking up to her door, she could describe the cluster of students with only two words: annoyingly familiar. They were in their own individual groups; Terasaka and his gang sticking out the most (disregarding hair colors).

"Well, well, well~. Didn't expect you kids to show up at my classroom today!"

The students' eyes all snapped towards Adrianne, not fazing her in the slightest as they kept staring. A few of them even whispered with each other in somewhat moderate English.

"Hey, isn't she usually a History teacher around here?"

"Yeah. Heard from Karasuma about her; seems pretty chilled according to him."

"Look as these assets! They're gorgeous~!"

'Ok, **this** is where I have to stop them…' With a somewhat lazy stride, Adrianne walked past the curious student before halting at the close presence of Taiga Okajima. She didn't even try to analyze his clothing as she simply stood still whilst packing her belongings under one hand.

"Now, who might you be young **man**?"

"O-Okajima, I really think you shouldn't-" Sugino's voice turned up behind her back, yet a few hushed objections kept him silent. 'Probably the girls…or Rio and Karma.'

"I-I'm Okajima Taiga, my fair maiden! I must say, you're stature is so-"

 ***BONK***

"Anyone **else** want to leave a comment?" Alright, with that action her previous points about Vee were invalid. She basically knocked the poor guy out but hey! It's his fault for trying to hit on her. Also, she couldn't stand perverts regularly…and she needed a punching bag for her pent up frustration.

Receiving only a chorus of frightened denials and a smirk in the case of the red-head, Adrianne grinned as her message was sent, relaxing visibly whilst unlocking the doors.

"So, any of you guys or girls know where you last left off?"

"Uh, I do!" A girl with dark-brown hair tied into a ponytail stepped before her, presenting her a bunch of papers that the previous teacher probably assigned.

"Thank you…uh…"

"Yada Tōka, Miss-"

"Please none of that 'Miss' and 'Misses' crap, okay Yada? The name's Adrianne." A few of them flinched at her sudden change in attitude, only if just slightly (to the teacher's disappointment).

"U-Uhm, sure." And just like that she happily smiled, grabbing a newly purchased manga before throwing herself onto the teacher desk's chair, her legs laying on the grey-colored wood.

"Good. So since you received your work, be good little kids and work on them until you're done. If you are, you're free to occupy yourselves until our lesson's over."

…

She managed ignore she students at first, though over time she felt as if flames were to burst behind her piece of literature every second. So, she lowered it so she could see the expecting gazes of 3-E's members.

"You kids need any help?"

"Y-Yes." / "We do!" / "Could we possibly look over task 3 together?"

'Seems like I won't get my free lesson today. Fine…if they insist.' Standing up from her seat and putting her manga on the table, Adrianne simply walked towards the first student's seat in her reach and snagged his sheet.

" **HEY!** WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?" And with first student in reach she actually meant Ryōma Terasaka. She only glanced at him with a deadpan before walking back forward, answering him mid-step.

"Buddy, we both saw that you didn't even attempt to finish your sheet. Since you're so contempt at staying unmoving, you can either sit there or look into another student's copy. But only if you take this seriously, you understand?"

"…"

"Good. Now, tell me: Who's exceeding in English at this point of time?"

A cluster of hands pointed at the only red-head in the back. Said student only glared at the others whilst standing up from his seat.

"That'd be me. Why, got any troubles properly teaching~?"

"I do." And just like that his cocky expression died down, replaced with confusion. The other students only could stare in shock when their substitution simply admitted her inability of teaching.

"Sure, I may speak English perfectly and write it as well…" The tired shrug wasn't needed but it surely helped her sore shoulders. "But I'm usually a History teacher. I'm not cut out for ensuring that all of you learn a language properly. So, I'd ask you to help me supervise the others and correct me if any mistakes come by. Got it?"

"…"

"Well?"

"…Understood. Not sure if you heard it already but my name's Karma."

"Adrianne Hoards, though I'd ask you all to stick only with Adrianne. So, since I barely know your names, please take out a paper, write your first name on it and fold it so that I can visibly read it in front of your seat."

…

* * *

 _(To be continued…)_

 _(Fire Me): The decision of what to write for today's Chapter was a bit difficult but I surely wanted to let you have a glimpse of Vee. Like her or not (probably the latter), she's a character of this story and thus will have more moments over time._

 _Well, I'm going to keep today's notes short, so I hope you had fun reading the latest release and will be back for more. If you want to leave a review, feel free! I won't pressure you into doing so, that's still up to you._

 _The Sir's out!_


	13. Relaxing, Ritsu and Technician

Karma: "So, tell me…why did you all sell me out like that?"

Sugino: *Chuckles nervously* "Well…she asked nicely?"

Rio: *Smirks* "Don't make such a fuzz~. You didn't seem to really hate your position!"

Karma: *Turns away* "…Maybe."

Sugino: "Okay. Before any of you ask: We have already been briefed about this place and its utility purposes. So, the 3 of us-"

Rio: *Interrupts* "WE'RE HERE TO ENSURE NOBODY BORES THEMSELVES TO DEATH!"

Karma: "Since I have to do homework soon-"

Rio & Sugino: *Scoffs*

Karma: *Glares* "Let's just do this. Or do you want me to beat up more idiots outside of the school grounds~?"

Rio: "…Could I grab my camera before you start?"

Sugino: "Absolutely not! To BOTH of you!" *Sighs* "Can't we just do the submissions and disclaimer?"

Karma: "Can't say no to that." *Presents 3 envelopes* "I got already put into the spotlight twice. So: Who takes which one? There's no way that I'll go again..."

Sugino: "Uhm…if you say it like this…then sure. I can do one of them." *Takes the first one; **'Zane Alias'** *

Rio: "I guess we owe you for selling you out. So, no problem with me." *Grabs the second, marked with **'Guest'** *

Karma: "…Really?" *Stares at the last one* "…Only today." *Opens the last envelope from **'FictionPWR'** * **"Mmmh~ I really enjoy reading this fanfic. Nevermind Karma, I think stabbing Vee is more my priority now. Like WHAT was she thinking WHY is she so MEAN to Sam?! Actually, I believe stabbing may not be enough. Maybe slowly burning would be nice." *giggles happily***

Sugino: "That's…not disturbing at all?"

Karma: *Continues reading* **"In any case, Vee might be a b*tch, but Professeur Bitch is better. She is the QUEEN OF B*TCHES. So go BURN IN HELL. No one hurts Sam without Sam* I will PROTECT HER"** "I have to admit…someone like Vee would deserve it."

Rio: "But the situation hasn't escalated…yet." *Reads her letter *** "I feel really bad for Sam, and I like how Adrianne knocked Okajima out. Hope you have fun writing the chapters!"** *Sneers* "Honestly, that moment was worth the bruise on his forehead~! Also, we wouldn't even be here if that writer wouldn't do his job."

Sugino: "For better or for worse." *Opens the last envelope* **"Let's hope that Karma doesn't abuse his newfound powers..."** "Karma…you didn't do anything bad…right?"

Karma: *Stares innocently* "I don't know what you're talking about."

Sugino: "Right…obviously-"

Rio: "So, that's done now! Now let me just say these few short words and you can all be on your merry way~!" *Extends hands to her sides* "So settle down boys and girls, cause this story is presented to you by 'MrFiretank' and his OCs! Other rights and all that stuff to their respective owners…"

Karma: "Finally!" *Grabs his bag* "Now if you would excuse me, I have to prepare some surprises for a certain student…"

Sugino: *Stops alarmed* "H-Hold it! W-We're not supposed to interfere! Right, R-Rio?"

Rio: *Smirks whilst shrugging* "C'mon! Where's the harm in that?"

Sugino: *Deadpans* "Considering we're talking about Karma…"

Rio: "…You're…not wrong…"

 **…**

 **CHAPTER 13 – RELAXING, RITSU AND TECHNICIAN**

* * *

"I have to admit…you and your man know how to make a damn fine coffee!"

"Oh, no need for the praise~! I just got used to making my own blend after a while."

"Well honey, if you're not taking the praise then I'll happily shower myself in it!"

"Please don't." / "Uhm, okay?"

Friday went by like a breeze for the 3 adults, taking care of their own jobs and having to deal with less trouble than usual…only in the case of Eric Halyard who sat down next to his wife, a cup of personal coffee in his hand.

Darcy and Adrianne were happy for Saturday to come around. Unlike other parents or adults, these two shared a nice bottle of liquefied courage in the local bars or clubs. Today though, Adrianne visited the pair quite early in hopes of seeing the main attraction of their household, thus it was either water or coffee for the two in the meantime.

Sure, they had alcohol or other soft drinks…but their son would probably protest if any bottles of cola were amiss…and they didn't want to risk the History teacher drawing a weapon upon any drunken influence.

It has never happened before…yet you could never be too sure about her.

So, now the 3 currently sat in the living room whilst enjoying their own presence. The sounds of hyped sports fans filled the background from the active television…seeing as Eric was the only person interested in it.

"Well Darcy, how is it living with Korosensei?"

"He's such a unique person, yet he's so determined at helping us…even if we're only letting him stay here with us."

"Taking out the trash, cooking for us when we're too tired, buying us groceries, cleaning the bathroom…" Darcy's husband kept counting on Koro's achievement over the short span of a week, needing to restart the counting with his fingers. "He's making us feel like kings."

"That is my goal, didn't I tell you~?" Just as Adrianne wanted to take another sip, she suddenly choked on her coffee, sending drops of her beverage flying around the air.

"DUDE! You scared the shit out of me!" The teacher didn't need to worry about staining anything; her confidence in the imaginary character's speed proving correct as the flying liquid suddenly disappeared, her cup regaining its original contents.

"Apologies, I didn't intent on surprising you like that!"

Scoffing, Adrianne put her cup down as she stood up and walked towards Korosensei, examining him from all angles and even analyzing his individual tentacles…much to the ex-teacher's discomfort.

"Uhm…this is making me uncomfortable-"

"Hush, pervert."

"EHHH!?"

Ignoring the shocked gazes off the other occupants, Adrianne finally finished her examination before smiling gleefully at the Halyard's guest, pulling him into a side-hug as she laughed joyfully.

"Oh man, the guys at the conventions won't hear the end of this~!"

"Please don't…"

"Fine…still, it's a nice change to finally meet you in private. Couldn't actually believe it myself but here you are! In the flesh!"

"It's also good to make your acquaintance…uh…Adrianne?"

"Bingo!" She took one of his tentacles in an energetic handshake, ignoring the obvious difference in anatomy. "That's the name. Do us a favor and let's keep it like that."

"Can certainly do! Now, how did my little students behave in your lesson?"

"Same old, same old. Though, you should let Irina receive something for her current condition…"

The sudden noise around them died down in an instant. While the Halyard family just stared confused at their two guests, Korosensei-

"AAHHH! WHAT HAPPENED TO HER!? IS SHE OK!? WHERE IS SHE RIGHT NOW-"

"PERSONAL SPACE, YOU PERV!" The History teacher didn't share Korosensei's sudden panic or distress, instead shoving him out of her own range before she could get involved into the situation. This went on for minutes, frustrating the three other occupants to the point of groaning and glaring.

"Dude, I came here to drink with my friends in **peace**! Also, she only has a cough! If you're that worried about her condition, do something about it!"

"He can't, remember? If any of the 3-E members were to spot him, all hell would break loose. And not in the good way, Adrianne." Darcy's tone still sounded friendly, yet there was a slight edge to these words, suggesting caution on the History teacher's response.

"We won't risk anything that puts Markus even more into their line of fire. The mall incident was already close enough…and probably left suspicions everywhere. Admit it: There aren't many risks we could possibly take anymore." Eric didn't bother much more with their debate, letting his eyes trail back to the television in somber silence.

Adrianne was honestly surprised at their sudden change in behaviors. She knew that both of them could turn vicious if the proper reason was given. Yet seeing the two parents become so protective over both their son and their houseguests made her think this over…and surrender in the end.

"Alright, since I'm a teacher and all that crap, I should be able to contact Irina personally. You want me to deliver her some medicine or what?" She seriously thought about just walking out of the front door. Even then, Eric and Darcy were two of the people she could consider…friends of the same age. If there was one thing she always tried to avoid, it was making others emotional.

"AH! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK-"

" **PERSONAL SPACE!** " The neighborhood would probably get a good scare from the sudden volume increase but why should Adrianne have cared? The only thing that bothered was not getting hugged by that guy getting too close for comfort.

"You want me to grab them Korosensei? I don't think they'd give you anything…because-"

"I'm personally aware of this, yes. Also, that'd be very much appreciated."

"Honey, I'll grab them before work. That way you won't have to drive out today."

"And I'll get them on Monday before school. Just make sure you buy me a refill for my flask next week." That got everyone to crack up, even Korosensei who was delighted at seeing the three other adults care about others.

"Oh, one more thing! Korosensei?"

"Hmmm, what can I do for you Adrianne?"

"I appreciate you helping Markus and the others with their homework. Just don't go too far."

"Oh, don't worry! Nurufufufu~! They won't cause any unnecessary attention from others-"

"Otherwise I won't anything left to teach them…"

"…"

"…Yeah…"

* * *

Passing my classes with mediocre grades, having to deal with regular school BS and trying to escape the times where Korosensei forced me into doing my homework prematurely was pretty much the first week summarized in a nutshell.

Honestly, this was a welcoming change after everything that occurred in the last days. Dealing with 3-E, bullies and school in general tired my entire body out...proving once more how big of a 'regular' person I was.

And if you're going to tell me to just do sports, the door is just to your left.

Regardless, here was I. Still talking to the invisible audience that I thought off (and if you actually exist, please respond). Wasting my time away with shooters was a regular given until now.

"You're supposed to defend the bomb, not give it to them, smartass!"

"Hey, that guy's always ambushing us from behind! What do you want me to do!? Stop them!?"

"Uhm, **MAYBE!?** "

"With **WHAT!?** This tiny pea-shooter!? Oh wait, of course that'll do nothing!"

Unless all of your friends are currently bashing their virtual heads in due to frustration.

'Should I even try to interfere?'

"If you keep spouting stupid crap like that, I'll intentionally jump into the enemy!"

"And **where** would be difference from right now!?"

'Yea, no. I don't want to get myself verbally mauled to death.'

*Vrrr*…*Vrrr*

"Oh god, thank you for this interruption." Excusing myself from the other teammates (much to their anger and my amusement), I grabbed the old Nokia of my table and flipped it open…

* * *

 _(Message was sent at 17:35)_

 _From: Adrianne H._

 _To: Markus. / Martha S. / Dwayne T. / Desmond R._

 _Guys, was reviewing some of the footage that came up last week. Not sure if whatever I got is good or bad but it's sure worth to talk about. And I mean like_ _ **right now**_ _. You have until 7 PM to get to the diner a few ways away from school._

 _Adrianne_

* * *

Well, how could I say no to an opportunity like that? Also, maybe I could get some food treated from her while we're at it-

*Vrrr*…*Vrrr*…*Beep*

* * *

 _(Message was sent at 17:37)_

 _From: Adrianne H._

 _To: Markus. / Martha S. / Dwayne T. / Desmond R._

 _P.S. I'm_ _ **not**_ _buying you dinner. Be behaved little brats and bring cash yourselves._

* * *

Too good to be true…yep.

* * *

The 'Milford Diner'. If you ever wanted to get correct American food in the middle of Germany, this was your place to go. Their menu was over three pages long…and that didn't include their drinks or lemonades. Oh, and don't even get me started on their fries!

They even set up some sort of mini game at the bar for them! The thing is: Their fries are supposed to be made with a combination of multiple spices and oils. Sure, they'd look funny at first but their taste was the bomb! This caused many, and I mean MANY people to try and guess what exactly was on…or even in them.

Fact is, Adrianne is supposed to hold the record for the most correct first guesses out of everyone in this town. According to her, our familiar teacher was drunk of her heels when she randomly ordered one batch of them. After just eating 3 single fries, she started to list a number of different ingredients…which almost turned to be the entire list used for their famous recipe.

The best thing is, Adrianne herself doesn't even remember which ones she stated! So anyone who tried to take her title as 'Milford's Number 1 Guesser' away would have tough luck…

If I bore you, mind that we 4 had already ordered and recieved our own food whilst waiting for our host to show up. I needed company, dammit.

"I could always come back for these~! They're delicious~! YUM!" Taro and Riley had each ordered one serve of them…which ended up with our 'Shota' buying another one in less than 5 minutes for Riley whilst he was just quietly observing him.

"Uhhh..."

Or he's just staring at him in shock and awe at his sheer eating speed. Typical...

Samantha has ordered a burger for herself whilst silently typing away on her smartphone. There weren't any games on her device, yet it was filled to the brim with music. Riley gave her playlist a chance last year and bailed 10 seconds afterwards, muttering something incomprehensible.

And I? Well, I had ordered both. Technically I only wanted the burger but-

"Hey, how the hell are you late to your own meeting!?" Angry Goth was angry…

"Sorry you guys. Had to jumpstart my 'Baby' before driving off. Took a while to convince Sarge to let me borrow from his van…" Our last member of the group sat herself down, sighing in exhaustion before taking the bowl of semi-warm fries of my side.

"Thanks for pre-ordering. You know me too well."

"Sure thing. Honestly, you weren't that late Adrianne."

We took a while to enjoy the friendly remedy that went around here, eating our food and enjoying each other's company. It went around pretty fast, since the food only tasted as it stayed warm.

'Just like the calm before a storm.'

"That was good~."

"I'm glad that these guys give me discount due to that weird title…"

And within mere moments after our food, Riley was the first one to break it.

"So Adrianne…you told us of something."

"True. So before I drop the bomb onto you, tell me this: How far are you into the original of…well, that?"

I simply gave her a deadpan since that question didn't concern me. To my surprise, Samantha also simply shrugged whilst copying my façade.

Riley and Taro gazed at each other for a while before answering. They didn't seem sure on their answer but probably hoped for the best.

"Well, I'm halfway into canon if that helps."

"I started with the second semester only yesterday~!"

"Good. In other words this will allow me to skip some stuff…" Sighing again from her sober mood, Adrianne grabbed her own phone, searching for something specific before turning it around for all of us to see.

"What's this?" The picture was from one of the installed cameras in 3-E's new personal classroom. It displayed the shocked statures of many students, even presenting the open jaws of Megu, Kayano, Fuwa and Hara from its angle. Meanwhile, Karasuma stood in front of the class behind his desk as he held up a sheet of printed paper…

"Uhm, what's so important about this…image?" Seriously Riley, he couldn't even stare at it for more than 10 seconds before giving up…

Alright, to be fair…I may have also stopped after 15...and then Taro just after me…

Only Samantha had a look of concentrated focus on her face-

"Can't you just zoom into the paper? The guys are too level-headed to understand it."

" **OI!"** All of us had to respond to that as well…and Adrianne just laughed at our dismay before complying.

Now, the zoomed in variant showed us a few details on what the paper was about. There was a date displayed on the top-right; the Wednesday in over a week. There were also a few keywords pointed out by the usage of a marker.

Yet, what stuck out the most was a certain picture of a girl on the top-left. Lilac hair, light-blue eyes and a soft smile were adorning her features. Any regular guy would have mistaken her for a new transfer student coming in. However, the keywords on the paper suggested things like 'Installation', 'Function' or 'Combat Equipment'.

'Yep, there's no denying it. That's Ritsu for you…'

"Is that who we think it is, Adrianne?"

"Yes. To be fair, we didn't hear anything about her since the beginning two weeks ago. Though now, our operation could be at a huge risk."

"Why is that Addy~?" Taro couldn't help himself and stare innocently at the teacher. She simply stared weirdly at him before turning back to all 4 of us.

"Well, if what we know about 'AC' is true then she'll be our biggest hurdle yet, just before Karasuma and Irina. Her being a machine and all allows Ritsu to access any digital points of importance around this continent. Heck, even around the world!"

Her explanation wasn't done yet, given how she raised her left hand to point at the date on the image. "Now, in a bit less than two weeks she'll become active. Until then, we have to figure out a way on how we save ourselves from her possibly prying into our cameras or personal devices…or pray for a miracle to occur."

I…personally didn't know many people who could save us from this. Korosensei might have the only chance…however, him entering the school building could be extremely risky and unneeded. Also, I don't think he would approve of us making changes on her software…

…So what could we-

"Dudes. Dudette."

…What?

"Still a teacher, remember? Guys, I hope you still remember your old friend in crime."

Turning around, me and Sam finally got to see the owner of the voice. The guy behind us had brown hair hanging from his face under a grey beanie, glasses with a white frame, brown eyes and a deadpan that was 90 percent of the time on his face.

The green coat on him reeked of mustard and went well with the grey shirt. His regular blue jeans had a small tear on the left side and his sneakers looked well-worn.

It was the previous 5th member of our group: Jacob Juarez…who had finally returned to us.

"So, heard you needed me for a job? How can I assist you?"

…

* * *

 _(To be continued…)_

 _(Fire Me): Have to go to sleep, bye and until next time!_

 _The Sir's out!_


	14. Jacob, Returns and Showoff

Vee: "Well what do you know? Those Casanovas actually do something important…" *Scoffs*

Samantha: *Groan* "Tell me again why I can't just beat her into the next gutter?"

Jacob: *Pats her shoulder* "You'll have your fair chance. Also, this fanfiction is supposed to stay T-rated. The swearing alone cuts our free space off by quite a lot."

Vee: "Heh, I actually like it in here~!" *Dances around* "I can hear my own wonderful voice echoing within this endless abyss~!"

Samantha: "Kill me, **now**." *Clutches her dress*

Jacob: "Later on. Now, I think that we should begin with something else…"

Samantha: "I get it, I get it. So…how are we supposed to reach **her**?" *Points at Vee*

Vee: "This place could be perfect as a karaoke bar~!" *Starts singing*

Jacob: *Slightly flinches* "Given how I question the actual value of her…entertainment skills, you could use something else instead of words."

Samantha: *Gasps* "PUNCHES!?"

Jacob: *Shows two envelopes* "Written words."

Samantha: "…Meh, as long as it helps." *Takes them before aiming* "Oh Vee~!"

Vee: "Huh? Wasn't that the **sku** -"

 ***THUD***

Vee: *Cries out in pain* "OW! MY FACE!"

Jacob: *Stares* "…Did you purposefully aim for her nose?"

Samantha: *Sees Vee picking up the envelopes* "Maybe~."

Vee: "Grrr…I'll pay her back for that later. Now, I want to see what these are about!" *Roughly opens the letters marked with **'FictionPWR** ' and **'Reader'** *

Jacob: "Hm? Isn't PWR a regular of yours?"

Samantha: *Smirks* "Surely is. Also…" *Turns towards the camera* "I saw your previous review. Thanks for cheering me up. I needed that!"

Vee: **"This chapter was really good, as always! Can't wait for the next one!"** *Shrugs* "Eh, don't know what you're talking about but whatever."

Jacob: "Nobody told her?"

Samantha: *Smiles* "Yep."

Vee: **"Keep updating that's great! I can imagine Ritsu just randomly appearing on Adrianne's screen to correct her about some fact and Adrianne be like 'Uh yeah I was testing you' (Adrianne is a great teacher I wish I could have her in my school)"** *Growls* "If you're talking about Miss 'No Good', then we're on **different** opinions…I HAD TO SKIP A MEETING WITH MY CLIQUE BECAUSE OF HER!"

Jacob: *Adjusts his glasses* "She hasn't changed."

Samantha: "Sadly. We should let the 'queen' have her peace for now. Means, we two can do the disclaimers."

Jacob: "Then go ahead." *Steps back as Samantha tugs on his arm*

Samantha: "Nu-uh. Not this time! Dude, you've been gone for over a year so be an actual man for once!"

Jacob: "…"

Samantha: "If you give me the silent treatment…"

Jacob: "…" *Sigh* "If you'd please…" *Steps forward* "…The Chapter following this short introduction is part of a fanfiction owned my 'MrFiretank'. Same goes for all OCs used."

Samantha: "There you go. So, did you die from this or not?"

Jacob: *Deadpans* "How could I tell? My arm's cramping too hard for me to notice..."

Samantha: "Seems like time didn't affect your humor as well…"

Vee: " **SOMEONE** BRING ME AN ICEPACK FOR MY NOSE!"

…

 **CHAPTER 14 – JACOB, RETURNS AND SHOWOFF**

* * *

"This is too good to be effing true."

"You better believe I'm here. Had to convince my parents for this…"

Oh boy, how the tables have already turned. I honestly haven't told you much about Jacob here, right? If so, let us catch up with a trip down memory lane.

Juarez has started in the same year as we did, excelling most of the students with his grades and overall intellect whilst staying cautious enough to always hide inside the school's library. Nobody usually saw him, talked to him or knew of him. He could have been considered a walking phantom.

Yet it was us 4 blockheads who spotted him, (forcefully) dragged him out of his isolated world and invited him into our friendship circle. The stoic guy rarely showed emotions…and I mean even less than Samantha! He would usually be stuck in 'deadpan'-mode for 95 percent of his time.

However, our small group knew the other side of him. More than a year ago he received a sudden call from his parents while we watched a movie. They didn't even give him 12 hours after that before he was forced to travel to Ohio for a job; leaving us in the wet cold that was Germany at that time.

When we all watched him walk away to his terminal on the airport…we could see him openly smiling at us. No fake façade, no forced tugging on his lips…just the pure bliss of having others to rely on.

'Jacob Juarez, you sweet son of a-'

"JACOB~!" / "YOU'RE BACK!" Our new arrival could barely brace himself before Taro and Riley had latched onto his waist, stumbling him slightly in his tracks. Instead of showing irritation, his outer lip slightly curved upwards when he held his arms open.

"Don't you want to join in?" The natural deadpan was in his voice, yet if one knew him close enough they'd notice the slight hint of amusement he held.

'…Screw it, he's worth it.'

Assuring you that I'm straight, I walked up to our old friend and latched myself onto his shoulders. The overstretched smile never left me after I broke our hug.

Jacob waited a moment to compose himself as he slowly stalked to Samantha, stopping before her comfort zone before holding a fist up.

"You haven't changed your looks, Sam. Good to know."

Cue the emotional fist-bump.

"You're still wearing that old rag. I actually missed your darn odor!"

"And I'm unimportant?"

"Meh, the smell makes the person." None of us could hold our chuckles in, resulting in everyone cracking up on the table. Even Adrianne smiled while watching our reunion.

Speaking of our teacher…

"…They haven't fired you yet?"

" **OI! JUST SO YOU KNOW** ; I'M ACTUALLY DOING A **GOOD** JOB OVER THERE!" I knew that he meant it sarcastically but we couldn't even control ourselves when Adrianne became riled up.

Even when she said this with a proud smile, Jacob turned to us 4 as he searched for confirmation…much to the History teacher's grief. The entire banter only lasted 10 seconds before our mood went up again. He finally settled down and ordered himself something to eat and drink when Riley stood up in his seat.

"I'm sure that you're already tired…but since we're all collected here-"

"LET'S PARTY! **WOOHOO!** "

'No need to tell me twice.'

* * *

"Thanks for letting me stay here overnight."

"No problem man; couldn't just leave you in an alleyway, eh?"

My trip home turned out to be longer than expected. Why? Well, I'd have another guest in my home for now! Jacob didn't have a lot of money on him right now and the closest hotel was a few ways away. So with me trying to be polite and all resulted in him sleeping in our guest room.

Regardless, I finally arrived at the front door late into the night with Jacob in tow. The trolley filled with his belongings created noise ever so slightly as its wheels rolled over stone.

Tiredness and freezing temperatures finally caught up to me as I fished the keys out of my pocked and opened the door-

"Nurufufufu~! It's rather late to arrive, isn't it?"

...

'…I forgot to tell Jacob about him.'

…

Seconds passed by, the tenseness in my neck and shoulders becoming worse over time…

…

They still stared at each other, as if they were observing each other-

"Who is your guest?" / "Who is your friend~?" **SURE!** INSTEAD OF **FREAKING OUT** FROM EACH OTHER THEY SIMPLY TRY TO STRIKE A CONVERSATION!?

…

'That…actually helps a lot. Good to know that they aren't as jumpy as I am.'

"Korosensei, this is my longtime friend Jacob Juarez. Jacob, this is our current other houseguest: Korosensei."

The two slowly inched closer until they stood in front of themselves. The expressions hadn't changed, not even Korosensei's colorization. The atmosphere felt heavy around the two, gazes resting before each other…until it completely lifted while tentacle met handshake.

"Seeing as you're a friend of Markus, you're welcome in my eyes."

"Same for me. Might I assume that your circumstances aren't due to regular occurrences?" I was almost convinced that he knew of his actual existence as a fictional character and just kept it off the discussion out of politeness.

Or he was just insightful like always.

"You'd be correct. Would it be alright if I indulge him into our situation?"

"Actually, he's here exactly because of it…but he doesn't know much about you. Would you mind filling the gaps?"

"Certainly not~. Should we talk about it for now?"

"Soon; let me inform his parents about my stay beforehand." Not wasting much time after that sentence, Jacob left his belongings in the living room while searching the kitchen where both mom and dad were probably at.

'Hopefully he can convince them-'

" **JACOB!** HELLO!"

...

'Yep, didn't even take him 10 seconds…'

* * *

"Everyone please settle down! I have something to announce."

Changing classroom after classroom was a nasty but necessary habit for our age. Our school didn't just have enough work forces to assign a room to every teacher, with a few exceptions…Adrianne being one of them. Thus I patiently waited in German, Riley staying upbeat next to my right.

"Now, I know that most of you got disappointed when they heard that no one would join our group this semester's beginning." Most of the other kids started to share confused glances at our teacher. By the way, the man's hair was so…unreal (not in a good way) that most started to call him 'Donald' since he reminded us of a certain American president.

Yeah, looks mattered a lot in this school when you are part of the staff. If names like 'Santa', 'Sarge' or 'Donald' come around, you know that reputation was everything.

"Well, from today onwards that changes! Class, please welcome Jacob Juarez back into our rows!"

And just like that every ounce of anticipation died down in a glorious burst of groans. The chuckle that left my and Riley's lips didn't exactly help…even when the deadpan of our old-time friend shifted to the two of us.

'It's good to have him back…' Not even waiting for Donald to assign him somewhere, he just stalked to our position and took the open place to my left.

"So…did he fill you in?" Making sure to keep my voice as quite as possible, I stared at the front where a neat pile of worksheet rested for us. 'Seems like we'll to work ourselves again…'

"He did. Your situation intrigues me…and worries me at the same time." His voice, look and posture never changed, though the hint of worry never left him.

"Meh, I manage to deal with it. So far nothing bad has happened either."

"Define 'bad'."

"Uhm…no physical harm so far?" How assuring…go me.

"Any mental strain?"

"If we talk about annoyance and nervousness, then yes."

"…You're fine then. I hope…" The last words weren't really spoken out; instead he whispered those even more silent then before.

"Why are you two just staring off into space?" And just like that our weird conversation was broken when Riley plopped down next to us, 3 copies of the worksheet in his hand. 'Huh, never even noticed him standing up.'

Releasing a tired sigh as I grabbed one of them, I took out my pen before looking at my friends. "Let's do this first before anything else continues."

"Agreed." / "Alright!"

...

It took a fair amount of time, multiple usages of my text book and regular interruptions by Riley but we managed to occupy ourselves…

"…Jacob?" Okay, actually not. The entire case still bugged me…

"Hmm?"

"What do you…personally think about this situation?"

The glasses wearing boy waited for a solid minute, the sounds of small talk and writing braking our created silence. He never stopped working on the assigned tasks…his working speed was even higher than mine (and his German was worse).

"…Why do you think I actually traveled back to Germany?"

"Uhm…because Adrianne asked for your help?"

"No." I felt a small tinge of pain at that- "Don't get me wrong…it was because of her that I found out about your guest in the first place…" He put his pen down as he turned his body to face my own, a slight frown breaking his usual frozen emotions.

"When she referred to the possible…risks in your operation, I couldn't help but think about you 4. Sure, you dragged me out of my world by force…yet you meant well."

"…So you're repaying me-"

*Thud*

"Ow! C'mon man!" He actually possessed the gall to snip his index finger at my forehead, me taking the hit due to sudden surprise.

…It really hurts!

…Don't laugh at me, please.

"That thought was idiotic. Be happy that Samantha wasn't able to hear it." Honestly, it was hard believing Jacob when there was that underlying amusement in his voice…

"Yeah, yeah, knock yourself out…"

"The truth is…you guys were some of the only people I managed to leave an honest impression on. And I felt like the audio files I gifted you weren't fair." Oh, right. When I spoke of a good friend earlier on, Jacob was the referred guy. 'If it wasn't for him, I would've been caught by 3-E…in a restroom...'

"So, I want to make it up to you."

Okay, he got this all wrong-

"There's nothing to 'make up for'!"

What do you know, Riley looked up from his own table as he smiled to both of us. Pretty sure that he wasn't even close to done with his work yet but whatever…

"You shouldn't feel bad for leaving! It wasn't in your decision to leave us. You even got Markus here a gift back then…so don't even think about saying these words." The friendly expression combined with his serious words surely worked his magic…resulting in Jacob slowly calming down as he sat down more relaxed.

"…You're right. I didn't think this through."

"Hey! Now you're starting to behave like one of us!"

"I…guess I do."

* * *

"So they paid you almost nothing?"

"Correct Taro. Instead of the promised cut I only received 50 percent, even less after my old gear busted."

"That must suck! Even my parents grant me more per month than that."

"…Yeah, though it wasn't entirely bad there…"

We had a LOT to catch up on after Jacob's arrival. It was over a year since he left and we surely wanted to know what happened over at his side. So buying ourselves another round of drinks and snacks we settled down on our secluded plot.

His pants would be ruined but may they have served them well until this point. Not like they clean our bench anyways…or the ground around it.

I currently sat next Jacob and Samantha as they held their conversation, Taro chiming in from time to time while I and Riley listened carefully. Both blondes stood upright next to us.

"My boss was the worst of it though. Never got a mind full of-"

"GUYS! **GUYS!** "

'Who the heck's that kid? And why is he shouting at us!?' We didn't even try to move when some random teenager ran towards our position, panting from exhaustion when he halted to a standstill-

"Calm down kid! Now, what's got you-"

"IT'S THE MEYERS! THEY'RE AFTER YOU!" Pointing a finger at us, I had to actually move my head…

'He's pointing at Jacob. Should have seen that coming…' The man in question just rose an eyebrow and glanced at us. We all adopted annoyed faces when I and Samantha rose both physically and mentally to the situation.

"So Jacob, want me to give these two knuckleheads a lesson?"

"Nothing more than trouble when they get involved…should we help?"

"…Actually no."

…

Say what now?

"I appreciate your willingness…but I'd like to have a little chat with these two; maybe talk some sense into them while I'm at it."

The guy was probably starting to spout nonsense. You don't just talk to the Meyers as if they were your everyday students. These two actively searched for trouble for god's sake!

"Uhm, I really don't think you should-"

"Markus, your concern is much respected. From you 3 as well. But let me tell you this: I can handle some troublemakers like them on my own, since they were basically the norm at my most recent position."

And just like that he silently stood up, dusted the back of his pants and walked into the school. We could only stare at shock-

...Wait.

"WE LET HIM WALK IN THERE **ALONE!** "

"Then are you waiting for!? Let's go in there!"

"LET'S HURRY!" / "PLEASE DON'T LET HIM BE HURT!"

* * *

Rows upon rows of curious students stood before us, forming a barricade made of fat and grease which we quickly got through via. squeezing between them (except in Samantha's case who just shoved everyone away). I could barely fit myself between these teenagers, as did the entertainer. Taro had it simpler due to his short size. Not like he actually cared about that but regardless...

'Finally! There they are!' As I got out of this sweaty swamp, my eyes trailed forward to see Jacob calmly standing before Scott and Andrew…and oh boy, did they look mad.

On the other hand, Jacob wasn't even shaking, twitching or flinching. His position was like that of a butler in the prime of his years. Yet…something felt off…but I couldn't just put my finger onto it.

"YOU THINK **YOU'RE** THE NEW HOTSTUFF, HUH!?"

"WE'LL TEACH YOU HOW WE DEAL WITH SHOWOFFS!"

They're going to hit him! WE HAVE TO DO SOME-

"So **I'm** supposed to be the showoff?"

Eh, when did we tilt his face down? And why was he- **HOLY SHIT!**

"Do you want my opinion on **you two?** " Raising his head ever so slight revealed the mother of all glares. His deadpan was replaced with opened eyes, angled eyebrows and a snarl that would have made an angry dragon proud…

Also, that didn't sound like a question. More like a demand.

It didn't help that his voice kept its calm, yet now deadly tone.

"Let me tell you something…during my last year I met adults, chefs and workmates that personally **sickened** me…now **you two** …"

The Meyers flinched as Jacob now stood before their own faces, every trace of regret or thought lost in his inner rage.

" **You two are the lowest scum I've ever had to lay eyes on so far. Your pranks didn't concern me until now…and I would have preferred to keep it that way…BUT…"**

Mother of god, save me from this fear!

It felt like the entire area around him got colder, sudden shivers indicating me of this phenomenon.

" **To hear that you two only torment others for the attention it brings you…that's pathetic. You're nothing more than non-grownup snots who addicted themselves to the 5 minute limelight. And for what?"**

"F-For f-fame-"

" **Nothing more than disgrace and hate! The hate that only YOU deserve!"** This was the nail on the coffin as the two bullies of this school dropped to their knees in utter shock and fear, shaking with their hands and expressions frozen from terror. Only when their gaze trailed to the ground did Jacob turn around to face us.

Well, we weren't faring better than them. No one really did. When the new student walked towards the crowd, they started to part in a poor attempt to avoid close contact. We 4 had to follow him while the students gazed at our retreating forms…

"…Jacob…t-that was…w-wow…"

"I know." Although he didn't put any emotion into his response, the small hint of smugness didn't went unnoticed. "A friend that I made while working overseas introduced me to his drinking buddies. They were a calm group and respective as well."

"Let…me guess: That changes once they got…pissed off?"

"Your assumption's correct Samantha. I was in the front seat when I first witnessed their 'switch', so to speak." He spoke to us like that incident never happened. Now I was starting to wonder if it was really such a good idea to ask about his time there.

"WAAHHHAAA! DON'T S-SCARE ME LIKE THAT J-JAC! YOU WERE S-SO S-SCARY!" Taro hefted himself onto his side even while walking. Poor guy was actually full blown sobbing from that event…he hopefully didn't get traumatized or something. Riley comforted him muttered reassuring words to him. Even Jacob himself hefted a hand behind his back, trying to calm him down while frowning.

Actually, since Taro's still in Jacob's personal space and didn't flinch from his touch that meant he still trusted him. 'Good to know…'

"…I have no words for what you just pulled off."

"I aim to please."

At least we could enjoy our break in silence now until lessons resume-

"Can you teach me~?"

"…It'd be my pleasure."

…

…Ehehe…

Maybe I should get myself a bunker for when she actually learns about this. Yeah, that sounds nice… Jacob was already bad enough…but if she had that stare…

May the earth freeze over under her cold reign…

...

* * *

 _(To be continued…)_

 _(Fire Me): There actually has been one time where I witnessed such a gaze. It was during my summer break two years ago. Spotted two adults' trash talk between each other until one of the two mentioned something about his close friend._

 _And man did it take all of my willpower to not run away on the spot. So sir: If you read this somehow due to the odds of RNG, you've been my mental inspiration for this Chapter. Props to you!_

 _Thanks for reading and until the next Chapter!_

 _The Sir's out!_


	15. Shopping and Irina

_Ahhh, it's good to be back! *Stretches*_

Markus: "You weren't gone for that long…"

Adrianne: "Plus, we did fine without you so…"

 _May I need to remind you on fact that_ _I'M_ _responsible for writing these Chapters?_

Markus: "…No?"

Karma: "Not like that's a huge secret currently." *Shakes his head* "I don't care. As long as you continue writing this story of yours, we'll have no trouble at all."

 _Good to know that at least_ _he_ _vouches for-_

Karma: *Laughs* "I mean, otherwise we wouldn't have a chance to kill the octopus~!"

Markus: "Didn't…you mean to say that the entire plot would be ruined otherwise?"

Adrianne: "Details, details!" *Waves her hand around* "We don't have to discuss such trivial stuff, alright? Why don't we do the review submissions as a distraction, hm?"

 _Sounds like a plan to me. Alright then!_ _*Hands over 2 envelopes*_

Karma: *Walks away* "You guys to ahead. I've been doing this too often already."

 _But you will do it next time, aye?_

Karma: "Right, whatever…"

Adrianne: "Been a while since I got a turn, feels like it's been ages!" *Takes the one marked with **'FictionPWR'** *

Markus: "You can talk; I was gone even longer…" *Opens his own letter, **'Guest'** written on it* **"Thanks for fixing my home in the phillphines-"**

News caster: "We're interrupting our current live stream for breaking news! Tom, what is going on over there!?"

Adrianne: "Hey, since when did we get a TV in here?" *Points at a flat screen TV in the air*

 _I decided to install it yesterday. Saves me some trouble for-_

News reporter: "…MIKE! BREAKING NEWS, HAWAII AND DUBAI ARE DEVASTED AS A YELLOW FLYING U.F.O WITH TENTECLES WAS SPOTTED FLYING AT MACH 20 CREATING HURRICANES ACROSS THE GLOBE!"

… _I can already feel the migraine coming…_

Adrianne: "I'm **not** going to tell him the news. He started it!"

Markus: "…Let's stay silent and pretend nothing ever happened?"

 _Amen to that._

* * *

 _Meanwhile in Canada..._

Korosensei: **"AHHHH! WHAT HAVE I DONE!?"** *Screams wildly*

* * *

Adrianne: "He'll solve it eventually." *Opens her own envelope* " **Nice chapter! I think I like Jacob. It's great how he can turn from passive to like REALLY SCARY. If he teaches Sam how to be like him, I'd want her to face Vee and scare the crap out of her. Like, REALLY scare her, so she ends up switching school or something."**

Markus: "As tempting as the idea is, please don't. I'm sure that half the students would change schools if Samantha uses that look…"

Adrianne: "Speaking of that, I value my pay. A LOT. So let's reserve this idea for when things go out of control."

 _For now, let's silently plot and hope that she gets what she deserves. *Turns to the audience* I know, I know. We've done this over a few dozen times already but we're doing this for the sake of respecting others' content._

 _*Coughs* All readers, guests or fans in general, I'm reminding you that this story and any OC involved in it are reserved by me. *Points at himself* Anything else like 'AC' itself and other stuff goes to their respective owners._

Markus: *Groans* "Do we seriously have to stop already?"

Adrianne: *Smirks* "Aww, is there someone unhappy for not being included in a Chapter~?"

 _You can sulk later dude. Oh, one more thing! Who do you like the most out of the characters from 'S101WK'? If you want to tell me, feel free to leave a review and state why he / she is your favorite!_

 _For now, roll the next Chapter!_

 **…**

 **CHAPTER 15 – SHOPPING AND IRINA**

* * *

"How did I get into this situation?"

Darcy Halyard never really tried to ponder too much about certain facts. Normally she'd make the best out of everything and go with the flow, assisted by a few cups of coffee here and there. Especially during her break she'd usually browse for the newest releases in the mall.

"You have to test this one! And that one! OH! With those stilettoes you'd perfectly fit into any formal event~!"

So how was it that a certain blond teacher was currently dragging her around the various shops, picking out everything that wasn't nailed or taped to the ground?

'If I would've just waited…'

* * *

"Thank you for shopping at 'LeBans'~!"

The mother's normal shift was more relaxed than usual. Usually there'd be masses of other customers within her vicinity.

But today was…different, for a lack of words. Instead of being constantly occupied she simply scanned the goods of a few customers, cleaned shelves, rearranged the drinks for the second time of this week and was still bored out of her wits.

"Ugh. Why is it so empty in here today!?"

"No idea. As long as we get to relax, there's nothing wrong with it."

"Manager!" Her internal (and verbal) whining instantly died down when the man with his Ray-Bans showed up behind Darcy. His posture was completely relaxed, almost even sleepy.

A single sigh ran through his mouth before he sat himself on her line's counter and put a bottle of orange juice next to her.

"Relax Darce. It's the beginning of the week and you're already too stressed out. That's not how I remember our friendly cashier. So, how can this guy here help you calm down?"

A pang of guilt ran through Darcy's heart when she pondered about his words. That wasn't like her at all! To this time she'd usually work with such a positive attitude that some co-workers imagined rainbows or stars around her. As ridiculous as that sounded, it still showed how unusual her behavior was.

"I…personally don't know what's going on."

"Well, did anything happen outside of work? At your home? In your family?"

Her memory sparked when he mentioned her home and family. 'Perhaps…'

"We're…taking care of a guest currently."

"A troublemaker? If you want, I could-"

"No NO! Nothing like that! It's just…" The woman took a deep breath as if to brace herself for a disaster to occur. "He's so sweet! Too sweet! He takes care of all my duties, cooks our meals and makes us feel like kings!"

Her manager stared at Darcy's face for a minute before his eyes grew in size behind his glasses. Grabbing the small microphone from her counter, the guy pressed a buttons while an all too familiar sound rang above their heads.

*DING*

"Dear customers! Line 3 will be closed for today! Please switch to either Line 1 or 4 for now. Thank you for your understanding."

As the manager smirked while he put down the mic, Darcy could only watch in shock at his sudden action. Her shift was only 2 hours in and she still had cleaning duty later on!

"W-Why did you do that!?"

"Darce, I think the reason for your stress is this: You're used to taking care of two males at your home by yourself. Now…" Putting his hand over hers, the female Halyard resisted her urge to pull away at his touch. "Your guest does all of that for you. You're feeling useless, no?"

"…Maybe."

"Alright, then it's settled." Standing up from his seated position, the guy adjusted his glasses before replying. "You need something to vent off these negative emotions, until you're calm again. Why don't you find something or someone to distract yourself with? And no, Eric or Adrianne doesn't count."

"You know them personally?"

A shake of his head pretty much answered her question.

"Your husband always comes around before his shifts start. As for the teacher…I downed drinks with her once. Pretty neat but too unpredictable for my taste." Wasting no more time around, the manager finally headed back to his office.

"Why don't you go to the mall Darce? Heard they got a few new stores there." And just like their conversation ended. Meanwhile, Darcy just sat in her working chair, dumbfounded by his actions.

* * *

"So that was how I got here? But how did I meet-"

"You've got to try them on Darcy! Come ON!"

"H-Hey! No need to pull so rough!"

* * *

After a short bit of traffic and finding the right parking spot, Darcy Halyard looked around the various shops in the mall, relaxing herself and inspecting most goods in the shelves or simply window-shopped around.

"YOU GEEZER! I say that this thing is too expensive! The material is mediocre at best!"

"What do you mean!? It's handmade polyester that you're holding! The price is justified!"

That is, until she could hear two angry voices from the store to her left. While most of the other visitors scooted away from the loud noise, Darcy was genuinely interested. So against all better judgement she silently tip-toed her way into the store filled to the brim with clothes.

And just a few feet away stood 2 certain adults. One was a good acquaintance of hers, after she bought from his store a couple of times. However, the other woman was unknown to the cashier. She sported wavy blond hair paired with clothing from some unknown brand. Though if one had at least a slight fashion sense they'd realize the high value of them. In her hand: A polyester pullover, sporting a really high price tag.

"Oh, Darcy! Nice to see you here!" Finally getting spotted, the owner turned to the black haired woman as he wiped the angry growl away with a smile. 'An honest one at least.'

"David~! Nice to see you again! Uhm, is…everything all right in here?"

"Oh! There's nothing you have to worry about! I just tried to tell this lady here that I don't haggle around."

"And I'M telling you that this thing ISN'T worth your ludicrous price! 50 percent or I WON'T BUY IT!"

"I **DON'T** HAGGLE! CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT!?" The two resumed their shouting match now at full volume, as if Darcy was never present in the first place. She even had to cover her ears from the high volume of their words.

'I have to break these two up somehow!'

And that is what she (against her common sense, again) did.

"Stop. Stop! STOP!" The normally silent woman now stood between the two, a hand resting on both of their shoulders as if she was holding back a pair of angry siblings.

"There has to be a better solution than causing this ruckus. David, can't you lower the prize at least a little bit?"

"Currently no! My sales have been going down since last month so I can't affort making such big losses."

"It's ONE pullover! Just **ONE!** Get off of your high horse already!" The blonde woman didn't look pleased in the slightest, yet she didn't attempt anything more than shouting at the store's owner.

But then, a sudden idea came to her mind…

"Wait up…Miss; are you perhaps new to our town?"

"Uhm, I got here a few weeks ago. Why are you asking?"

"Then it's settled~!" Not giving her the chance to reply, Darcy took her credit card and handed it to David. Said owner only stared dumb folded at her response and blinked as a response.

"Y-You're paying for her!?"

"Eh!?" Feeling the shock that only now reached the cashier, Darcy quickly shook her head, waved her hand off and corrected David. "Oh no! She wanted discount, so she gets it. Only take so much away that the price is reduced to 50 percent."

And just like that there was silence around them. Where loud shouting and profanities stood out less than a few minutes ago, the only sound getting produced was from the store's air conditioning.

"…A-Are you sure about this Darcy? I-I know that everyone-"

"Ah, don't sweat it~!" The honest smile didn't retract even slightly as she shook her head. "Everyone gets a free favor from me when they're new to our town."

Deciding that the situation turned more awkward than calm, Darcy urged the owner on to use her card. What both failed to miss was the 3rd person's expression. Normally she'd smile victoriously when getting such a deal. But…it didn't feel right for her. The tightening hand and shadowed over eyes only revealed her true feelings even more.

"H-Here you go."

"Thank you~! Now Miss, welcome to-"

 ***TUG***

"W-Whoa! HEY!" The woman on break could only adjust her balance as she was dragged out by the blonde without any warning out of the store, her credit card and new shopping bag gripped by her flailing hand. When they were a nice distance away from David's shop she finally let go of her.

"O-Ow! I-I'm sorry if I did anything wrong but-"

"You didn't have to do that!" Confused. Surprised. Shocked. Those were the emotions that crossed Darcy's face when she suddenly snapped at her, frustration clearly written all over her.

"I…I-I don't get-"

"You could've just ignored me there! I only tried to get a discount; it would've gone fine regardless!" Any answer died down in her throat as the blonde searched through her purse and pulled out…

…The exact amount of money that she paid to David.

"HERE! Take it so I don't have to deal with you anymore!"

…

'…So that was the problem.'

Extending her own hand, it looked like she went for the neatly stacked bills-

"Thank you but no."

Only to gently push them back towards her.

"What…do you mean with NO!?"

"I won't take your money because I don't care about it." The other party adapted an aggressive smirk, putting her hands on her hips in the process.

"So what do you want from me, huh!? C'mon, tell me what stupid thing you want-"

"Why don't we enjoy the day together~?"

…

Given the sudden shock on her now broken façade, the other woman tried to comprehend her seemingly harmless reply…

Yet it never came.

'Uh…maybe I rushed it? Maybe I should lift her spirits?'

"Well, seeing how you're not declining my request, why don't we start over?" This time she extended her hand for a handshake, not drawing back even as the blonde flinched. "My name's Darcy Halyard, what's yours?"

If her opened eyes and open jaw couldn't have grown, they certainly did when her nickname came up. Darcy only grew more confused when she saw that sudden reaction. 'Does she know someone else named 'Halyard'? My husband perhaps?'

It almost took forever…but they finally linked their hands.

"…Irina. Irina Jelavić." Even as she replied to Darcy, she couldn't help but notice the small signs of remorse that she revealed. So, the cashier only did what came up in her mind…

"Hey! You enjoy shopping a lot, right~?"

"Uhm…yes, I guess so?"

"Then what are we waiting for~?" She gently pulled her along her still grabbed hand, making sure to not trip due to her shoes. At first there was a bit of resistance in her action…though that force vanished while they walked along.

Darcy stopped in front of a bigger sized clothing store at the other side of the mall, Irina in tow. Her new friend tried to shoot her an annoyed look…yet it didn't held any malice in it.

"Here we are! Now, why don't we get some new sets?"

At first, there wasn't any verbal response. Instead she looked closer into the rows of wares…and took the lead while walking in.

"Sure! But since you were so fixated on helping me out, let me return the favor. I'll pick you out some nice clothes. NO excuses!"

"U-Uhm…sure?"

* * *

"Oh…so that's how it turned out." Darcy looked down at herself, now blushing when she inspected the new blue dress with fitting black stilettoes. 'S-Should I really-'

"Come on~! Don't be shy now!"

"C-Coming out!" The woman on break couldn't believe how the tides had turned. 15 minutes ago she was the one bubbling with energy. Now…there was only a meek line on her face. Bracing herself for everyone to see her new look, she pulled the curtain of her cubicle open and let Irina get a good look on her.

"I'm…not sure if I should wear this?"

"Say what!? Girl, you're looking perfect right now! Maybe with the right eyeliner and hair look you'd be ideal for all guys out there! Now, change back into your other clothes so that I can pay for them!"

"…Uh…sure?"

'What have I gotten myself into?'

Overall, she certainly had a day that she didn't forget. When arriving at home she had to put down multiple bags of clothes, one full of makeup and a coupon for a free haircut. Too tired to store all of her newly gifted goods away, Darcy just flopped down onto the couch whilst ignoring the panicked cries of their guest.

Yet…the smile on her was fully there. After all, every ounce of stress left her mind and she made a new friend! Maybe now she could finally relax...

'Whatever happened today…was totally worth it.'

* * *

 _(To be continued…)_

 _(Fire Me): NO LONG CLOSER TODAY SINCE I HAVE TO GO TO SLEEP NOW! *Turns lights off*_

 _The Sir's out!_


	16. Moose, Pairings and Excitement

_Okay, before you say_ _anything_ _about possible writing errors or so, let me tell you: I'm writing this (unlike the other days) on my miniature phone without auto-correct. If you spot any mistakes, then you can figure out why they sneaked themselves in._

Taro: *Stares wide-eyed* "But why don't you just use your PC like usual? Or the laptop in your school?"

Santa: "May I take a guess? You're nowhere near your home."

 _He got it! Currently I'm on my way to Bremen or Bremerhaven. Since I'm stuck on a bus for over 6 hours today AND tomorrow, chances of using my equipment are pretty much zero._

Santa: "But that won't stop your drive for writing stories for all readers out there, will it?"

 _*Chuckles* Nah, there's nothing to worry about. Urk... *Covers mouth* I should be fine while suffering from the occasional wave of nausea hitting me._

Taro: "Do you want cake~? It'll help you!" *Offers a piece of strawberry cake*

 _...Not now but I appreciate it._

Hara: "C-Can I have it?" *Points at the cake*

 _First off, sure. And second: How did you get here!?_

Hara: *Munches* "I actually don't know. One second I was close to dozing off and then..." *Shrugs* "I just kind of appeared."

 _...That means that (unlike Karma) some of you appear here randomly...weird if you ask me. Also kind of unsettling, considering that anything could happen when we're...not in...here. *Shudders* Taro, do you have another one of those cameras?_

Taro: *Tilts head while humming* "Uh...no? Not that I know of..."

 _...If you excuse me for a moment? Or two...or a whole day. *Leaves*_

Santa: "Uhm...why don't I give you a rundown of this...place's specifics, young lady?"

Hara: *Smiles* "That'd be wonderful!"

Taro: *Watches the two talk* "I guess that only leaves us now~!" *Turns to the audience* "Today we also got 2 submissions from you~! I can't wait to open them~!"

Taro: *Opens first letter from **'FictionPWR'** * **"To answer your question I think Taro is one of my favorites. The small child who is a cinnamon roll. Just because he is too cute for this world. Then there's every other of your characters! Riley, Sam, Markus, Adrianne... it's hard to choose."**

Santa: *Hears him from the background* "Congratulations Mister Taro!"

Taro: *Smiles excitedly* "Thank you~!" *Resumes reading* **"Btw, is Koro-Sensei going to die? Or are they all going to go back to their timeline and forget all the stuff? HOLD UP, I THOUGHT WHEN KORO WAS HURT MARKUS WAS AS WELL?! Oh god what a mess."** *Frowns* "We don't really know how this'll turn out. Even then, we'll assist Markus all the way!"

Hara: "Oh, hey! What…are you doing there?"

Taro: "Huh?" *Notices the two people behind her* "Oh hello~! Do you want to read~?" *Offers Hara the other envelope, marked with **'Guest'** *

Hara: "Alright! For some cutie like you I can do that!" *Opens the letter* **"Hey it's me again person in the Philippines (except I'm in Tokyo now). I don't want to disturb or alarm anyone but uhhh...If everything in the song happens in real life then...shouldn't there be a specific gigantic nuclear weapon here? You know the uh… "Giant bean" as you call it Koro-"**

 ***BWWWAAAHHHH***

…

Taro: "What…was that?"

Santa: "Oh oh."

* * *

 _Meanwhile in the Halyard House..._

Eric: **"YOU'VE GOT SOME EXPLAINING TO DO! PRONTO!"**

Korosensei: **"AAHHHH! I'M SORRY! I'LL GO FIX IT RIGHT NOW!"**

* * *

Hara: "The…rest is just filled with profanities and death threats pointed at Korosensei…" *Shows letter*

Santa: "Then you can stop there. It was very humble of you to do that. Now, why don't we resume our tour?"

Hara: *Smiles* "Sure!" *Walks away with Santa*

Taro: "Okay then~!" *Sits down on the ground* "It's so nice of you to read so far into the story~! But remember..." *Holds up finger* "Our writer, 'MrFiretank' only owns his OCs and the story itself. The other things go to...well, the others!"

Taro: "Now, do you want to get some sweets~?" *Stands up* "We got all kinds of-"

Irina: **"YOU!"**

Taro: *Turns around* "AAHH! W-What do you want!?"

Irina: *Glares menacingly* **"What do YOU think!?** YOU'RE MORE POPULAR THAN ME!"

Taro: *Pales before running* "I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING MA'AM!"

Irina: *Starts chasing him* **"GET BACK HERE AND CHANGE IT!"**

 **...**

 **CHAPTER 16 – MOOSE, PAIRINGS AND EXCITEMENT**

* * *

"Alright ladies! Two laps around the court as an appetizer! And don't you dare slack off!"

I'm not sure if anyone out there agrees on my opinion…but I absolutely loathed P.E. when it only consisted of running. A new class gets assigned? Running. You have a lesson with him first? Running. An exam is coming up? **Running**.

See where I'm getting at? Our teach was either a sadist (if he could smile widely when two dozens of panting teenager ran past him) or he was just that energized. Regardless, why do we have him as our teacher you ask?

Well, it's simple. Normally I'd have German with Riley again like in my first week of insanity. He'd usually scream profanities around while his charming demeanor crumbled within the depths of right tenses as I stare at him in embarrassment (and tiredness for his sheer idiocity). And usually a bar of chocolate could sate his temper…or Taro's stomach ache. Whatever usually came first.

So try to feel our inner disappointment when Donald didn't show up and practically forced us (intentionally or not) to have an exhausting 90 minutes with Mister Moore.

The dude's Canadian, has lots of brown hair and for some odd reason was often nicknamed 'Moose' by the students. That…went well for the first few days.

Until he got so annoyed by the title that he established a rule of his own. It's an unmentioned one within the school grounds, yet everyone knows it, besides the new freshmen of course.

You want to run another set of laps? A sprint around the school building? No? Too bad, cause that is what everyone had to go through who dared to even mention the 'Moose'.

Moore was similar with Santa's always jolly behavior. But unlike him, that smile never promised anything good. You saw him grin-

"Come on everyone! Only one more lap to go~!"

And you knew it would be bad.

"I swear-…if he says something one-…more time!" To my and Riley's advantage, the other sport class had been put together with ours. Meaning: Samantha and Taro were with us as well. Okay, I felt kind of bad for the small blonde. For our Goth it was more the annoyance that kept her running…or the need to punch his smiling visage in.

"…His methods…are questionable…" Oh, and let's not forget our latest addition to the cause! Jacob was (before his year outside of our lives) not comfortable with physical exercise. Now…he seemed better off than last time. Sure, there was quite a lot of sweat on his forehead but otherwise he seemed to be fine.

"And…DONE! Well done kids; that was a good warm-up exercise!"

'Warm-up!? Oh come- …on!' When you reach a point where you're gasping for air in your thoughts then congratulations, you've officially reached the point of being completely done. The other guys and girls seemed to agree with me.

'Either that or the grass functions as a make-shift mattress.'

"Now young'uns! Please line up in front of me; I've got something interesting for you to announce." Easier said than done. The sweat trailing down into our eyes, the aching in our legs and the sunny heat rays didn't help in the slightest.

"I- …don't wanna…" Our little 'Shota' was out like a limelight, lying like a defeated angel on the outside court's side grass. We couldn't really leave the boy alone there or else he'd get into trouble…

"Rise and shine Taro! This is our last lesson for today so don't go sleeping on us just yet." Riley was the closest to him and seemed to have the same thoughts as well. While grabbing him under his arms he struggled at first due to his own exhaustion, yet in the end he managed to carry him and himself to the Canadian teacher. Speaking of which, Moore had a rolled-up poster in his hand…which trembled slightly from excitement. 'Oh fudge.'

"Now kids. I'm sure that you've heard of the gymnasium being reopened, right?" The gymnasium? Been a while since I heard of that place. I wonder how they managed to fix the damage from both Meyer brothers last year ago…

…

Huh? You want to know what happened. Nah, it'd bore you…

…

Wait, there's actual interest for this? Fine, it started when they-

"Well guess what? As an additional event for this year we're holding this school's 3rd annual soccer tournament!"

…The silence within our crowd was deafening…and was soon replaced by cheering girls and the all-so groaning boys.

"They're holding this stupid thing again!? Just give me a break or let me rot…" Okay, not only boys. Samantha loathed exercise (just like the rest of our group) but that wasn't the entire reason for her dislike towards that recurring day. It's actual reason was simple:

The war between her and Medrano.

"Since this time's tournament is held under different circumstances unlike usually, we're also switching up our rules for this year!" Alright, now I'm not sure if he did this intentionally or not but our optimism died down faster than a candle in a typhoon.

"Why do I feel the sudden urge to run away?" / "…Could I rather have some cake?" 'On the same page as usual.' The two blondes didn't attempt to get closer, instead staying far in the back where any scent of attention was amiss. Riley's hordes of fangirls were surprisingly inactive since the last few weeks…excluding some rather loud discussions near his presence.

"Now, I know that most of you folks aren't too thrilled about it and I understand! Yet we wanted to make this year something special so don't chicken out just yet." Oh, as if the year could be any more special than currently! And I know, Murphy already got the challenge. You have a problem with that? I don't care anymore! Sue me!

…Wait, don't actually sue me. Cool? We cool.

An awkward cough brought our attention back to Moore who started to put quite the strain on his smile… "Now, these are our new ground rules for the kickoff: Just like in the previous year's lineup you can take part in groups of 4. But here's the thing…now you can only create groups including 2 parts of every gender."

'They're balancing out the gender ratio for the line-ups?' That certainly is a surprise, though I welcome that over last year's regulations. Almost only boys competed, turning the whole tournament kind of repetitive…yet with that rule in place there would be lots of new match-ups created, so spectating could actually be an interesting option now!

And judging from Samantha's smirk she was also onboard-

"Also there's another limitation. You cannot take more than 2 members of a class in each individual team~!"

'SAY **WHAT** NOW!?'

Regarding his now happier tone, Moore really enjoyed the shock that was written on our faces. None of us dared to move…or even loudly breathe during the possible lapse of common sense in everyone. Even Jacob and Sam were so out of it that they didn't respond in the slightest. Yet it was our Goth who seemed to have spotted something in…the distance…oh no.

Seated at the other end of our outdoor court was the 'queen' herself, crossing her arms under her chest, darkly smirking at our dumbfounded faces. Her small group of followers (including the more physically fit boys) either rudely pointed at us or simply laughed. Even from such a distance I could see the motion with her left hand while mouthing: "You're on, **skunk.** "

'She already knows. She has to. There's no other way…'

…

 **"Vee..."**

Shit, things just got personal on a whole another level…

"These rules seem weird at first…" Oh right, Moore was still here! Actually forgot about him. "But see this as another challenge for you and the others! You'll be forced to work together now instead of relying only on the talented ones out there." Dust your nonexistent dust off your jacket, will you? Seriously, why do we have to deal with that jerk!? "So, seeing as you'll need all the time to organize yourself until tomorrow-"

 **TOMORROW!?** FORGET WHAT I SAID; **THINGS JUST GOT WAY WORSE!**

"I'll let you out early for today! Have fun organizing yourselves and good luck!" No more details, no explanations, nada. The Canadian just left like it was no man's business. Most of the other students still moved no inch further or-

 ***TUG***

"W-Whoa! HEY!"

" **I need to WIN that STUPID COMPETITION!"**

And now she's in her competitive stage. Oh how wonderful…

"Sam, SAM! RELAX!" Remove her hands, make her calm down and not ler her choke me to death as she's holding my collar! Yeah, that sounds like a plan! "That still hurts you know!?"

"Oh…whoops…"

*THUD*

"Argh! At least put me down softly!"

"And you being a wuss actually benefits you!?"

…Did she seriously have to shatter my pride right there? Not like I had one to being with but still…

At least Riley and Jacob were out of their relapse, helping me off the floor via. strong tugging. Taro was also back to normal and tried consult our dear Samantha. Keyword being tried. You'd be surprised on how fast one's own 'charms' could calm down the temper of a loner.

"You feeling better Sammy~?" Cute tone, hands tugging on her chest, trembling lip and puppy dog eyes. He used his whole repertoire just to bring our only female member back to earth. Luckily it worked.

"Yeah…thanks. Sorry for the outburst Mark…" Real guilt? Check. Awkward arm-rubbing? Check.

"No harm done…no physical one at least." The dust on my white shirt wasn't too big of a deal. Korosensei would get rid of that the moment I set foot in my own house… "You know that you shouldn't let yourself be bothered that easily by Vee."

"She's the only person that isn't worthy of any response!" / "Her lack of respect has always been a thorn on our side." / "You shouldn't talk to that meanie, uhuh!" The rest of the boys were quick in their support, obviously backing up my statement without any actual malice. That surely got a reaction out of her.

Just the one that we obviously didn't need.

"But I can't just let her get away with that! **We need to do something against her antics!** " Mad Samantha's getting back! And as much as I…

…

…Hold up. Moore said that we need both a boy and a girl from two different classes to fill our ranks, eh?

There's also the situation with 3-E…where we have to gather information-

"Judging from your wrinkling eyebrows and the slowly increasing smirk on your face, you have an idea to Samantha's dilemma?"

"Maybe Jacob…just before I tell you, let me ask you this: How would you feel about two familiar people joining in who have huge interests in sports?"

"…I already dread your answer but…go on."

* * *

We still had 30 minutes left before all other lessons ended.

The familiar hallways felt empty, deserted even during our walk within them. From the closed doors you could hear small amounts of talking which differed from both students and teachers. Friendliness or frustration, anger or sadness, confusion or realization. Each and all of them had a sound; a noise that'd give them away even outside of their own walls.

'Wow, that sounded corny…'

"Why did I agree to your plan again?"

"Because we have a dilemma to solve. Doing this alone isn't an option anymore so…what more could we do?"

Either I could score us the biggest surprise of the tournament while dealing with another big problem at once or I'd hoard us to our executioner. The odds weren't currently in our favor but I hoped for nothing bad to occur.

"There we are-"

*Creak*

And before we could even reach the actual door it was opened by the one man who could help us out.

"…Hm? Oh, nice to meet you all again but aren't you supposed to be in your lessons?" If Karasuma had a knack for timing then he surely hit the nail on the head. 'Hope he's as open as they portray him.'

"There's nothing to worry about, Mister Tadaomi. Mister Moore ended his lesson earlier to give us time to prepare for tomorrow." Jacob was currently next to me, followed by the blondes and Samantha so he answered in my stead.

"The soccer tournament, I presume?"

"Correct. However, we wanted to ask you about something." Thanks for backing me up until now but I think I can take the reins from here on.

"See, the thing is this: Mister Moore explained to us that new rules have been added for each team's creation. Summarized, there have to be 2 males / 2 females in each group and only two members of a class can join each team."

"...So I'm assuming that you wanted to ask my students for participating with you?" He's catching on quite fast. Nice, saves us some trouble!

"Exactly~! So can we please talk with them? It won't take too long, we promise~!" Taro was trying way too hard, even for someone as cute as him…the effect wasn't imminent but surely, taking his cute expression in with every fiber of his trained eyes, Karasuma sighed before nodding.

"You might ask them. When you can convince them, I'll allow them to take part in your team tomorrow since they were offered to spectate regardless." He seemed slightly annoyed. At us? The tournament? We didn't know. Taking his time, the professional agent let us past the door so we could enter the…fully…seated…room.

…I imagined this a bit less…unnerving…and stressful…and fear-inducing.

"M-Markus? What are you and your friends doing here?" Oh thank you, Nagisa! At least a few of them didn't scare us completely. 'If it wasn't for him stuttering though…'

Not only him though; Fuwa, Karma, Okuda, Kayano, Sugino, Megu and Hinano instantly adopted a friendlier expression when they spotted us. Other's like Ryōma and his gang seemed more relaxed but didn't openly show it. The rest was pretty much confused about presence.

Hazama…well, I couldn't really order her into any side. Sure, the soft smile was there but it still unnerved me!

I also couldn't shake the feeling away that someone was…valuating us. No, not the right term. More like someone analyzing us. Couldn't exactly pinpoint it.

"Class, Markus Halyard and his friends should probably be familiar to you."

"Of course! We encountered them pretty much since our first day here." More than just once Nagisa, more than just once.

"They helped our friends out, didn't they? So why shouldn't we be familiar with them?" Thank you for being so open Kayano! Let's just hope that this won't change in the early future…just like my secret staying as one.

Regardless, their own teacher finally joined our side as he stared into my soul, the door and thus the point of no return being sealed off. "I never got the chance to actually thank your group for helping Nagisa out of trouble. Not only that but you've also become good friends with a few of the others."

The uncharacteristically sharp nod given by Okuda was amusing to watch. It just seemed so out of place! The few smiles around us lifted as least some of the tension in this room.

"Oh, it was no trouble Mister Karasuma! You see, our small but lovely group of people doesn't take life for granted as usual so we tend to be more open-minded about new students. Unlike other people." That last part was whispered extremely silent by Riley. Sadly it didn't went completely unnoticed…

"We get you. I and Karma over there had to watch that so called **'queen'** causing trouble during lunch break. It almost escalated when she threw some poor guy's lunch against the wall and bailed!" The tone of Rio Nakamura's explanation could have burned the ground where she-

"You already met her!?"

'Riley! Don't start to freak out right before them!'

"Heck yeah we did! Honestly, I don't even know who that girl is but let me tell you: If one of us has to deal with her antics, she has to take us all on!" Their loyalty was surely impressive. They don't even know who Vee is and they already hate her guts.

Huh. Might as well fill them in.

"That girl you're talking about is Vee Medrano. Let's just say that our dear Samantha here has a backstory with her…" I could pretty much feel her angry glare against the back of my head but I needed to tell them about this. God knows what'd happen if any of them has a run-in with her and her followers.

"Bad blood?" 'Much more than that Karma.'

"Not just bad blood; understatement of the century right there. We don't want to completely take your time away so we'll tell keep this pretty cut and dry." Now with the correct mood in place I gestured Samantha towards the rows, wanting her to explain our situation. She complied, albeit rather reluctantly.

"So yeah…it's pretty much like Mark said: I hate Vee with every fiber of my being and likewise. Now, the actual reason for our visit is due to tomorrow's competition."

"The soccer tournament? Me, Megu and Karasuma-sensei discussed a bit about it and we even wanted to partake with a team of our own…yet we couldn't due to the regulations in place." Damn Sugino, you surely didn't look happy there. By the way; his new style wasn't anything to pass up either! His white shirt plus a sleeveless grey vest, brown pants (not a pair of jeans) and grey-black sneakers really fitted him.

"We heard them as well and think they, excuse my language, are nothing more than crap." Wow, Jacob openly swearing in front of a bunch of other students? He really didn't seem to have taken a liking towards the 'Moose'. 'Don't forget you plan, idiot!'

"So, since our good Sammy over here wanted to partake by any means necessary, we wanted to offer you a proposition of sorts." Don't get too cocky now, me. We want to be friends, not douches. "Would you like to create a team with us and challenge others?" My offer sounded nice and I managed to crack a small smirk while asking-

"Something isn't right about your deal. Stop screwing around and tell us why you want us to partake!"

…

God, I thought we were over this!

"Ehm, excuse us?" Exactly Riley! I get that Terasaka wasn't friendliest of the bunch but come on!

'Why does he sound cynical!?'

"OI! Quit your piping and lay off!" You could have said that more friendly Rio but…who was I to judge? She defended us verbally while most of the ones that we befriended gazed at him. Even Karma seemed to be annoyed.

"Mind if I take the lead, Mark?" Wait, Samantha? What we're you-

…I can already feel another speech coming. If she really wants to do this…

"Knock yourself out."

"Thank you. So, Mister 'I-sit-in-the-back-to-look-intimidating'…" That got a reaction out of him and a few snickers between the rows. He really didn't seem to like his new nickname but with Karasuma in the same room he had to stay quiet now. "You're right. It may seem like an odd choice at first and we get it. You're probably wondering why we didn't went to the classes in our same school year, am I wrong?" His scowling never died down, yet he complied to her question with a nod.

"Well, there is actually a plethora of reasons why we picked this exact class. You surely want me to tell you the most important ones so let me just do that. First and foremost, we aren't exactly the most sociable bunch around the school grounds so our options are limited regardless. Then out of the possible choices, not many are considered our 'friends'. More like acquaintances but that's it." The noise in their class died down entirely, looks of sadness and…understanding on all of their features.

For some it was even worse! Hinano looked like she was ready to frown as if she couldn't comprehend our situation. Unlike Taro's look, hers made me want to break down inwardly.

Yeah, it was that sad to witness. Not only I but Riley and Taro also lost their smiles. Jacob's deadpan was still in place but he seemed to use considerably more effort in keeping it up.

"And lastly there's **Vee**. The only reason for me taking part in that soccer challenge is due me and her always going against each other." She raised two fingers while continuing. "Two times did we do this, two times could I best her! If it wasn't for that arrogant snot then I wouldn't even go into the gymnasium. Problem is, she always sweet-talks the other teenagers from the sports clubs into her team."

Riley picked up at that part. "Before we went to you I managed to ask some of the girls who were in our P.E. class." Maehara's eyes widened at that. 'Wonder what's going on through his head right there.'

"Fact is: This year she's dead set on winning against Samantha. So she took drastic measures and not only hired members of the local soccer club…she also managed to steer most of the other candidates away so that no one would join us." That got them to gasp in surprise. Seems like they just realized how crappy our situation was. Even Ryōma, EVEN KARASUMA didn't know how to retaliate!

…

"So..." Now was the verdict. "What do you say? Want to help us make a third win and prove Vee wrong?" I know that it seemed so…dangerous to ask the very people that hunted Korosensei and who would kill me if they'd succeed but really now; not only Samantha, we've all had it! If it means that we could shatter Vee's self-loving ego then this was finally WORTH IT!

"…Sugino, Hinata? What do you say?" All of their heads turned to the girl in the front and the boy two rows behind her. Their eyes considerably softened during Sam's speech, frowns replacing their neutral faces. 'That decision isn't an easy one to-'

"How could we even honestly think about declining!? Count me in!" Okay Hinata, you enthusiasm was surely appreciated but we needed both-

"Like she said! You are basically our friends at this point and just like Rio said before: 'If one of us has to deal with her antics, she has to take us all on!' You've got yourselves your teammates!"

…

It was that easy, huh?

"Now we're getting somewhere! Everyone!" What are you standing up for, Rio!? "When one of us needs our help, then we're gladly there for them! That's how 3-E deals with their problems! What do you say: Should we support Markus and his friends tomorrow!?"

"YEAH!" / "LET'S SUPPORT THEM!" / "WE CAN BEAT THEM!"

Holy moly…

"Then that answers it."

Woah! I completely forgot about Karasuma back there! Not…a good thing to do but hey, I'm not dead yet so it passes!

"I'll go to the teachers' room after the lesson ends to inform our principal of your registration. Under which name do you want to compete?"

We've got ourselves-

…

…

…Whoops.

"Uhm, Riley? Any…suggestions?" Please don't make this more awkward than it already is!

"Oh, uh…how…about team 'Nations United'?"

"How did you come up with that?" Samantha seemed not too thrilled about his suggestion, yet her look didn't seem to completely disregard it.

"I think he wanted to include the fact that our teams are basically including members from two different sides of the globe." What, how… 'Clever Riley! And I didn't even notice it until Jacob pointed it out…'

"I got it! How about 'Team Enyu'?"

'Huh?' Looking over towards Sumire Hara, only a victorious smirk was seen on her face; first on her palm as she reached her conclusion.

"Think about it! 'Nations United' can be shortened with the letters N-U. If you use their single English pronunciations and form them literally together you get 'En-Yu'! Team 'Enyu'!" That…was actually a pretty awesome idea! It had style, secret context and was an original idea!

"Alright. Then we'll settle with that name for tomorrow. Regardless, our class can meet up with you on Wednesday at 7 o'clock. Does that sound good?" Karasuma was so infected by the class's energy that he was actually smiling with us! Honestly, could our group have asked for something better!?

"We'll take it! TEAM 'ENYU'!" We got a name, our full team and a whole class to back us up! THIS WENT PERFECT!

"Now if you could allow me to continue my lesson, that'd be appreciated."

...

Oh…seems like we wasted quite a bit of his time. Hehe…oh this is wierd.

"R-Right. Well…thank you for everything! See you tomorrow at the gymnasium!" We could only awkwardly wave while leaving. Not a fitting scene for us but we made the best of it.

Still, all the other students waved openly at us or even told us their goodbyes (like Nagisa, Okuda or even Karma). That gave us a good feeling for now so all that was left was…

*Creak*…*Clink*

"Let's hit up the court, shall we? Don't want to play tomorrow without any training of our own!"

"Right!" / "Totally fine with me." / "Agreed." / "Yeah~!"

* * *

"They actually went for it…"

The History teacher was seated at the familiar diner, enjoying a cold beer while correcting her latest collected assignments. The place's bartender gave her weird looks yet it didn't bother her in the slightest.

She couldn't help but chuckle in enjoyment at the situation! It only got better and better! This would surely be an awesome day to spectate that stupid tournament for once! And above all: This surely wouldn't be the end of it!

"I worry for their safely…HAHA…but I can't help but feel so much excitement from this!" Her alcohol beverage swayed within her glass. The gazes broke away, only if it was due to her weirdness.

"Now…what to do before the cup begins?"

…

"I know!"

…*Beep*…*Beep*

"…There…ah! HUH!? THE ODDS ARE 20 TO 1 AGAINST THEM!? COUNT ME IN!"

Even if the tournament was simply a day for classes to compete in a sport, many of the town's adults couldn't help but create bets on lineups. They weren't lots of them confirmed yet. However, it was a known fact around the area that Martha 'Samantha' Simmons ruled over the last 2 years. This time though…many of the adults betted on her defeat.

It wasn't serious in any sense…well, not entirely.

'A wonderful thing to unfold…and to earn myself an extra pay!'

"Now where to meet tomorrow for…wait, this diner!? Hell YEAH! Barkeep, bring me another beer! I got a cup to watch on my free day!"

…

* * *

 _(To be continued…)_

 _(Fire Me): I'm not sure if you caught the 'Grip'-reference or not but it's not very subtle. The events are kicking up now and the battle between Simmons and Medrano are kicking up! Hope you're hyped for the next release cause trust me: The two rivals_ _will_ _get their fight. Just…not the way you'd expect._

 _By the way, this Chapter's length is thought of as an apology for the long intervals between every update. I know that it takes lots of time but this the best that I can do._

 _Anyways, thanks for reading and until we see each other again!_

 _The Sir's out!_


	17. Tournament, Kickoff and Secrets

_Welcome back everyone! I'm sure that many of you have some questions on my latest whereabouts-_

… _You don't? Eh. *Shrugs* Fair enough. Pretty sure the first reason you got here was due to the notification on either your phone or your PC. Either way, I'm happy to finally be back for some more releases._

 _So…for this time, I'll be alone in the intro just like in Chapter 1. You're free to skip anyways so don't let me hold you. Alright, the reason for my missing presence and updates was a pretty heavy fever which caught my entire family (mostly me) off-guard. Caused me to stay bed-ridden over the last weeks and I still haven't entirely recovered yet. It sucks…but I manage._

 _And let's also not forget the reviews! *Presents 1 envelope* …Since the second entry this time was from yours truly, only one submission came in for today. And it's our good old friend_ **'FictionPWR'** _! Now let's see what you have in store for us… *Opens envelope*_

" **BITCH-SENSEI DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH TARO!"** _Okay…that reaction is understandable- …hold up._

 _*Points at photograph within the envelope* …Did you have to really send me a picture with you pointing a gun on an Irina-cutout? That seems a little extreme…anyways._

" **I'll be there for the match cheering! If this ends up being a fist fight between Sam and Vee, sure expect me to cheer even louder! Who knows, this may end up in assassination... haha oh well that would be fine. Good luck everyone!"** _*Puts letter away* Now, I can't spoiler you any major plot points but let me tell you this: Things will turn out a different way than you might expect._

 _Okay folks; let's get the main show rolling! Turn up the stage cause it's finally time to continue!_

 _Roll the next Chapter!_

…

 **CHAPTER 17 – TOURNAMENT, KICKOFF AND SECRETS**

* * *

*RING*

"So it's finally time…"

"Took long enough. Now, can we please move into the hall for when they announce the teams?"

"Sure thing. We'll just sit in the bleachers and cheer you on Jacob. Same with you and the girls, Sugino."

"Alright. Now let us hope that were not late."

Yesterday's events finally came to a close, thus the day had already arrived. Waking up in 6 in the morning sucks for all of us, trust me. How my parents always managed to stay happy after such a greeting by Mother Nature? No clue…

But hope wasn't all lost when our little group finally met up with the aforementioned 3-E in their classroom, our two teammates ready to roll. All of their classmates seemed to have brought special means for cheering our 4 representatives on…

And to say that Karma actually tried to stuff Nagisa into a cheerleading outfit was hilarious.

To his fortunate luck, Kayano AND Hinano actually volunteered, forcing the red-head to quickly sprint towards the local mall to grab another set for the cheery girl. While I and Jacob weren't present after he left, it was safe to assume that the expression of pure relief on the petite boy wasn't just for show.

Concluding everything that happened pretty much 30 to 40 minutes ago brings us into our current spot. Just like my intellectual friend mentioned, the tournament is about to start soon…means: Grab something to eat, drink or another distraction while I move myself to the sideline rows!

* * *

 _(Message was sent at 03:27)_

 _From: Adrianne H._

 _To: Martha S._

 _So I heard that you and Markus managed to get 3-E into the team…I'm actually thankful that you did it. Because I put a lot of my last month's pay on the line!_

 _Thus…try to win, well? Good._

 _Adrianne_

 _P.S. Do good and maybe I'll treat you brats to some sweets…?_

* * *

'She isn't honestly expecting me to feel threatened…'

Meanwhile on the other side of the gym hall's changing booth, Samantha stared at her P.E. clothes…which weren't entirely black since a long time. Although she wanted to keep her usual attire's color for today (like she did the last 2 times), there were a few…'worries' regarding the other teammates.

"Hey Samantha…uhm…thanks for-"

"It's alright. I mean, the colors kind off suit me."

That's why her running shoes and t-shirt were in bright red, matching with the boys' attire. Now, it would have all looked fine…

"Say Hinata…"

"Yes?"

"Why was your hair colored bright red again?" …if their only other female member wasn't looking like Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer up there.

"Oh that! Uhm…let's just say that Rio was rather…demanding with her request."

'…Well that explains a lot.' Her face was kept neutral as to spare her partner's feelings a total assault of embarrassment, so she simply shrugged while grabbing her water bottle she packed at home this morning. It would have been coffee if her mom hadn't-

*DING*

"To all teams taking part in today's tournament, please move to Hall 1 so that we can finally begin!"

The long sigh that left the Goth's face was (surprisingly) copied by Hinata as she pulled herself up from the wooden benches that lined on both side walls, their personal items safe within a locker in the hall.

"You tired?"

"No, we…just went through a few preparations before going to sleep."

...

'Wait…maybe I should let her clarify that sentence.' Eyes kept in a regular stare, Samantha tried everything to hide the sudden interest that sparked them. It was difficult, yet she managed to make them look bored.

"School stuff or…something more complicated?" That question caused 3-E's female member to raise her eyebrow as her tiredness seemed to subside slightly.

"Nah, something that's only concerning my friends. Why the sudden interest?"

'Oh oh…' The sense of foreboding should have been stronger before she asked that question…yet Samantha was prepared. While yes, lying would be a dangerous option since she couldn't afford to draw any unwanted heat onto Markus; nobody said that making up a fairytale was required.

After all, she had to get out of many similar situations before. A perk of always being somewhere else…not within permitted areas, that is.

"About that, nobody ever really hears about your class other than in school…so of course people would become intrigued."

"Ah! N-No offense but we're still settling in with our neighbors. Many of them already accepted us…but there are still a few exceptions." And without another word she started walking towards the changing room's door with the Goth trailing behind.

'That could have gone better…'

* * *

"Riley~? Can I have some of your popcorn?"

"Hm? Sure Taro! Treat yourself."

"When did you even have time to buy the bag?"

"…I might have made a few purchases at 'LeBans' before coming here."

We could barely hear ourselves over the crowd of loud students that filled the seats next to us. It felt like sitting in a stadium before the big match. Even then…at least we weren't alone. Our allied class sat all in front of our trio, either with excited faces or simply tired yawns due to the early timing.

"Oh man, I hope that they manage to beat the other teams!"

"Hopefully…say Sugino, how come you're that excited for this? Isn't it a little too early for any sort of hype?"

"That's easy Markus! I'm excited just like the others since our class takes part in an actual tournament for the first time!"

"That's…understandable." Man, he surely knew how to be the hype man for this. And he isn't even drawing the most attention…that is doing someone else.

"Let's go 'Team Enyu'~!" / "For the win~!" Both Kayano and Hinano were standing on the last row's bench, both dressed in their promised cheerleading outfits…and posing in perfect sync. 'As if they trained for this last night…'

Such things didn't go entirely unnoticed by the rest of our fellow students as some watched in awe and surprise at the duo performance. There were also some more…unfriendly reactions in the crowd (mostly envy) but Rio, Hazama and even Terasaka were quick to shut those down. Most of the girls had even brought small posters which rooted for our success. It was truly wonderful…

"Can't they just start already!? I woke up early for this!" …Except that Irina wasn't really in a cheerful mood, if anything. Karasuma also wasn't looking better as he oversaw both our groups with expected calmness.

"Ah, the excitement is infecting, isn't it Nagisa~?" The odd-colored duo sat to our right, the petite bluenette nervously watching the teachers and first competitors walking into the hall before us. Taro tried to look extra cute just to make him relaxed…causing me to pat his head again and again.

I was weak to cuteness, ok!?

"Y-Yeah…I just wished that there weren't so many…students."

"Oh, and the best part's still left to go~." Suddenly Karma's grin turned slightly more…vicious. You could feel the intent around his body from a few seats away, seeing how some of the other kids to his other side instantly build up distance between themselves. 'Poor Nagisa…'

"Ne Nagisa~? Could you maybe come with me for a second~?" As if I couldn't have predicted it any better, he suddenly took his friend's hand and pulled him towards the changing room's direction, a bag from the mall within his other hand.

"W-Wait! W-What are d-doing Karma!?"

"Well…when I visited the mall before I actually had enough spare change to buy two outfits instead of one. So again, could you please follow me for a second~?"

"N-NO! KARMA!" Even as he struggled against his grip, the raw strength of his pull was too much for the poor guy who frowned heavily in defeat as he was whisked away by his best friend. 'And to think that these two are best friends…'

*DING*

"Dear students, teachers and other faculty members! I welcome you to the 3rd annual soccer tournament of our school!" The crowd actually roared when he spoke up, our cheerleading duo and Sugino doing the same.

"This is way too early…but even I can't help myself but be fascinated by this hype." Now look at that; Takebayashi was actually enjoying this…just like Okuda who was smiling like a little child, gazing at its favorite toy. Hazama who sat behind the duo was the only one that hadn't spoken up in this situation yet…and even Terasaka threw his own two cents in once in a while.

"Please give a warm welcome for every team! Cause here they come proudly!" The doors under the stands opened with a loud swing when the many registered students walked in just as their names were called.

And damn, this year there have been some creativity changes in these names! From 'Crusaders', to 'Overhaul', 'Striker 556' and so on.

There was a lot of variety included this year. Each and every team looked just as vigor and ready like the previous ones. Almost all of them walked in when suddenly it was our call…

Damn, I was actually nervous right now…but I can't help but feel energized! WOOHOO!

"Now let's greet the 7th and second to last team for today! Some of you may be aware of last times' winner; Martha Simmons. For this year, she probably has the biggest surprise of everyone in tow since we found out that they teamed up with members of the 'OSTP'! So, welcome them together as they present themselves under 'Team Enyu'!"

Our entire huddled group cheered when Sam, Jacob, Sugino and Hinata walked in with confident smiles. Many of the other competitor's enthusiasm somewhat died down when they spotted the Goth's more than fiery expression. The 3-E members also looked ready to take on all their rivals…but there was more to that…

'Might as well ask the man responsible for them…'

"Say, Karasuma…what's up with them?"

"Huh? It would help if you were more specific with your question."

"How come they look so…determined? As if they want to prove something…" That got their teacher to slightly react in understanding, his hands (which were crossed over his chest the entire time so far) moved into his pants' pockets from slight boredom.

"You see, in our home country they didn't have as much respect as here. In fact, many looked down upon them. I probably wasn't supposed to tell you this but…all of them had mutual feelings like you 5 did yesterday when describing your dilemma." He moved his head to the side ever so slightly, his stare fixated to the cheering members of his class. "They…felt similar to you in a sense."

…

Holy…effing moly.

We…basically gave them the ultimate pep-talk without doing anything other than reciting-

"-Welcome, 'The Alpha Line'!" 'What the!?'

The internal talk was too much again. Seems like I missed our own team lining up with the others and Moore's last introduction speech for the next team…

And it was none other than Vee's little unit of powerhouses.

As of that moment I was actually grateful for sitting in the bleachers…because I could actually **see** the hatred forming around Sam's body. Her teammates seemed to either not notice or ignore it…

"W-Whoa…r-rev!"

Unlike anyone else down there who was scooting away even further.

"Okay everyone! Now that all teams have arrived, I'd request the team captains to come forward." By the way, Moore sat down in the back wall of our hall. Santa sat next to him with his jolly smile as he held up a plastic urn. "If you would please take out a paper of this box? The match-ups will be determined afterwards."

…So with 8 teams in the ring…there's a chance of 1 in 7 that our team goes up against Vee's 'Alpha Line' in the first round, a 1 in 3 that we'll be lined up against her afterwards…

And should we actually reach the finals…oh this'll not end well.

Speaking of our 'queen's little troop of goons, all of them had some sort of sport jacket on in blue, yellow and white. They even had a logo stitched on them; a trident pointing down with angel wings in its middle, the colors more centered on the weapon's grip.

…Something tells me that the gold 'color' of their logo was actual gold. 'Wouldn't surprise me anyways.'

"And just like always she went overboard..." / "The jacket seems…too…flashy?" At least my male friends were agreeing with me. Riley stopped devouring his snack and Taro was now resting on the blonde's side-ribs. He looked somewhat tired but after we gave him a chocolate bar from my mom he was awake enough to spectate.

"So…" Wait, Rio!? When did you get behind me!? "Seems like your description didn't seem overexaggerated." There wasn't a smile on her face anymore. Instead, a thin line of tested patience was there, ready to break from the slightest event.

"Yeah. If there is one thing on this school that always happens, it's Vee's narcism…"

"I would get behind that statement." Well…hello there Takebayashi. 'Didn't hold him for much of a talker…but he's still a pro in his field, so better watch out.'

"Even as we're watching her…egoistic behavior surfacing, something tells me that this isn't the entire picture."

…Wait, what.

"Uhm…excuse me?" What in the heck was he talking about!? How come he of all students tries to see something else in her!?

I mean, that's got to be the most ridiculous thing ever…

…

Right-

"Now let's start with the first encounter for today! May team 3 and 7 please move onto the playing field and the captain of all line-ups step forward?"

Dammit…I should've probably complied when dad offered me a cup of coffee…would have helped me suppress my horrible attention span. Regardless, Samantha and Jacob moved to the back where multiple long benches were sat up, lining perfectly around the playing field.

However…

"Alright! I brought you here today for a good reason so don't you dare screw this up!" Vee seemed almost ecstatic when she lifted her piece of paper in the air, revealing her '3' in the line-up. Her teammates (two beefy guys with the same jacket and another girl whose clothing looked cheap in comparison to Vee's) instantly went towards their side.

All of us were pretty tense when the 'queen' halted her stride next to Moore and the enemy leader; a punk with a brown Mohawk and a jacket that looked like a bucket of liquid 'Lucky Charms' has been dumped on.

We couldn't really hear their conversation. Even so, the almost careless expression on Medrano's face and the constant snarl of 'Mohawk' (who I dubbed so until later) told the entire story. There even was a visible reaction from the Moose when she seemed to disregard whatever her rival just spouted with a lazy hand-wave.

"Who does that… **girl** even think she is…" Rio looks like she's about to snap…and Takebayashi's frown was also getting worse by the second.

"She's a huge meanie, yes…" Taro wasn't actually showing any negative emotions right now…but he wasn't smiling either. And that was actually having a bigger emotional impact than any tear or frown on his face since it meant that there was actual malice present. 'I want our cute cinnamon back!'

But as much as we wanted to deny it…her team was really, REALLY good. And Vee wasn't someone to underestimate either.

* * *

"GOAL! THAT'S 3 TO 0 FOR 'THE ALPHA LINE'!"

The game was usually supposed to go 15 minutes…

"AND WITH THAT THEY'RE IN THE NEXT ROUND!"

The other team surrendered after 10. The crowd started to shout in disapproval at the sudden interruption and Vee's troop didn't even bat an eye when 'Mohawk' gritted his teeth when he reported his team's decision to Moore.

And it didn't help when we heard a certain hated girl's laugh all across the entire hall.

"Dang it…I was honestly hoping for a wonder." None of us really liked the outcome. Though, Kayano looked the most salty about it as she sat in the front, her hands resting under her chin as they held up a face full of disappointment. Hinano tried to comfort her two partners, seemingly the only one who still had a smile (albeit strained) upon her face.

"Why…" You heard me right; two! Karma came back after the first 5 minutes of the game…a totally embarrassed and changed Nagisa in tow. Not only did the red-head stuff him into that rather…revealing costume, he also undid his pigtails, his long blue hair cascading down his back now.

"Don't worry…they're not looking at you…much." All things considered, she was actually right. While yes, some of the boys were staring at him in wonder…amongst other things, nobody seemed shocked while looking at him since nobody actually knew of his blue hair. 'His hood suddenly had an impact…'

"Now that the first match is over, may teams 4 and 8 please step forward?"

* * *

"This was easy…too easy."

"Should we really complain about the other teams' lack of experience in such competitions? If not used to the stress, many people will suffer from 'performance issues'." The Goth and experienced programmer sat in the hallways, waiting for the remaining 20 minutes of the audience break to pass until the finale. As team 2, they, Hinata and Sugino easily cleared house. Their opponents (teams named 'Crusaders' and 'Zen-Block') got easily conquered with 4-0 and 3-0.

Sugino did an excellent job at stopping any incoming ball that flew towards their goal while she and Hinata proceeded to overrun the enemy teams with their sheer speed and precision, Jacob acting as a surprise for any offensive maneuver and undermining those in no time.

However, these combined 30 minutes on the field allowed them to get a glimpse into 3-E's actual skill. They…proved quite efficient. SO much in fact that Hinata sometimes outshined the skilled striker in terms of overall actions.

"If this is how they act when they're actually trying…"

"Don't worry." Her friend was leaning next to her crouched position against clean tiles, gripping a bottle of cold water (gratefully and suspiciously accepted from Karasuma), opened and half emptied down their throats.

*Creak*

"Huh? Isn't that-"

 ***TUG***

"S-Samantha-mmhh!?"

"Shh…quiet." The Goth gave her partner no time to react as she pulled him into the far-side corner of the hall, both members of 'Team Enyu' hidden due to the concrete walls between them.

It was silent for a second as only the building's poor ventilation created any sound…until…

"Argh, Mom! I'm doing my best, okay!?"

 **'Vee…'**

"I'm passing all my grades, I attend all club activities and I even take extra lessons afterwards! WHAT DO YOU STILL WANT!?" Medrano's voice still sounded arrogant…though something else was there.

Something that Sam really hoped wasn't actually the case.

"You want me to do WHAT!? B-But…I…no…I understand Mom. Alright. See you later."

*Beep*

...

…*Sob*

...

'I-Is she…?' The grim girl's entire façade crumbled down when she could barely hear the audible whimpers of her archenemy-

 ***CRASH***

" **DAMMIT!"**

'W-Woah!' The Goth was honestly debating if her curiosity (for once) got the better of her. Even so, the ragged breathing and violent shatter of glass and plastic seemed to actually strike fear in her heart-

 **"SKUNK!?"**

"W-WHA-"

…

* * *

 _(To be continued…)_

 _(Fire Me): Cheerio, laddies!_


	18. Encounters

Karma: "Man…waiting this long for another chance of appearing is tiring. Nagisa, how come Fire hasn't shown up yet?"

Nagisa: "Well, it could be anything. School, personal life…boredom…"

Irina: *Fumes* "I can understand that my latest reaction in the intro wasn't 'pleasant' but c'mon! I won't complain for appearing at least!"

Karma: *Deadpans* "Bitch-sensei…you were shouting at a chibi student for being more popular than you."

Irina: *Glares* "That was **one time!** "

Nagisa: "Now, now…why don't we move on to the reason for always being here in the first place? I mean, our time is limited anyways..."

Irina & Karma: "…Fine."

Nagisa: "Great!" *Reveals 3 envelopes*

Karma: "…Want to play for them~?" *Shows 3 matchsticks*

Irina: "As if I'd lose to **you** \- EH!?" *Draws the short one* "DID YOU RIG THIS KARMA!?"

Nagisa: "Uhm…is this good?" *Draws and shows the long stick*

Karma: "Oh Nagisa, you won! Congrats~." *Presents the submissions* "Guess you can go ahead and take your pick."

Nagisa: "Alright…" *Carefully grabs the right one* 'Not sure if that's considered a prize...'

Karma: "Then I'll get the middle one…meaning you're left with the remaining letter, Bitch-sen-"

Irina: "Yeah, yeah you brat." *Snatches her own one* "I've wasted enough time as it is so let me do the honors… **'FictionPWR'** , so that I can go back to grading." *Opens the letter* **"OK WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN?! C'MON I AM A BIT LATE BUT STILL YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE US THERE COME ONNN…"** *Squints her eyes* "Well someone wasn't left too happy…"

Karma: "For one, nice job with that cliff-hanger Fire~! Also, I can literally make out the whining in that letter." *Chuckles*

Nagisa: "It'll be alright. I mean, we're here now…aren't we?" *Opens his envelope* "Uh…"

Karma: "…That bad?"

Nagisa: "Not…exactly." *Points at the messy font* "Seems like our regular **'Guest'** is back…"

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

Darcy: "Korosensei…why is my mail folder filled with death threats and spam~?" *'Smiles'*

Korosensei: *Shrieks* "PUT THE FRYING PAN AWAY! I BEG YOU!"

Darcy: *Screams while swinging* **"NOT UNTIL YOU TELL ME WHAT THE HELL YOU'VE DONE!"**

* * *

Karma: "Yeesh…I wish I could see his reaction right now." *Reads his own letter before stopping* "…You know what, this is too weird."

Irina: "Do you have the right to call anything weird, given our current occupations?" *Folds arms*

Karma: *Presents his letter* "Does this suffice as evidence?"

Nagisa: "…" *Reads the last part* "Is…is he…" *Twitches*

Irina: "Okay, that's it!" *Rips the last part off before putting it away* "Seems like I'll need to have a **word** with that guy."

Karma: "Same with me. But before anything else happens…" *Turns to the camera* "Instead of wasting your time with reciting the disclaimer one more time, I'll just remember you about its existence. Nothing else."

Irina: "Good. If you'll excuse me, I have to do some research about a certain person's whereabouts." *Leaves*

Nagisa: "As if he…" *Hands twitch*

Karma: *Stares before sighing* "Nagisa, they're some guys checking you out right now~."

Nagisa: *Snaps out of it* "W-WHA!?"

Karma: *Smiles* 'Works ever time…'

…

 **CHAPTER 18 – ENCOUNTERS**

* * *

 ***SLAM***

"W-WHAT THE!"

" **You…WHAT ARE DOING HERE!?"** It was a common occurrence for the Goth to see her school's local 'queen' getting riled up over nothing. However, this time there was certainly something different…

For one, Vee had Samantha literally cornered with her back against the wall, both of Medrano's arms blocking her side escaped. That 'holier-than-thou'-expression was completely abandoned for a vicious snarl that promise pain if she were to get even more angry. And then her voice…it was much more emotional than usual that it actually invoked fear in the loner's heart.

"I was…just passing time with Jacob during the break." Jacob only nodded at her exclamation. 'It wasn't a lie at least.'

Speaking of the glasses-wearing boy, he was a few feet away from Samantha but didn't do anything to help her. She hated to admit it but this was his most logical reaction to that time…since pulling her away wouldn't be too good of a plan.

" **Don't lie to me. How much. Did. You. Hear?"**

'Her voice is getting more aggressive by the second!'

"W-What do you mean-"

" **I SAID YOU SHOULDN'T LIE TO ME, SKUNK! HOW MUCH DID YOU HEAR?!"** Albeit her loud screaming, no one was currently present within the halls except the 3 students so it was even scarier when the thought of the 2 girls beating each other up came to Jacob's mind.

'This is getting out of hand-'

"OKAY, YOU WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH!? FINE; I HEARD YOUR **BITCH** OF A MOM COMPLAIN ABOUT YOU OVER **NOTHING!** "

" **WHY YOU-"** The last words of Samantha were filled with obvious distain…yet she stood her ground and promised to herself that she'd react if her biggest bully were to now punch or kick her.

Yet it never came…

The Goth's posture was back to the usual firm, stoic one; learned from Jacob but nowhere near perfected, always seemingly sluggish in comparison. Meanwhile, Vee was looking at the ground…not responding to her previous retort.

"…"

"…Uhm...aren't you going to sock me in the face?" The comment wasn't the best thing to say, which she realized when the mouth-line of her nemesis slowly started to tremble...

'Oh fuck…'

"Why…"

"Huh?"

" **WHY AREN'T YOU LAUGHING AT ME ALREADY!?"** Her furious expression was back, firmer than before. The look that pierced through the Goth was containing the same hate…yet there was something else…

"E-Excuse me!?" Samantha couldn't help but mentally swear at her own trip-up when she started to stutter from sheer shock. I mean, sure…she hated the girl before her with a passion but she wouldn't bully her as a reason for it!

"YOU HEARD ME! **WHY AREN'T YOU MAKING FUN OF ME AT THE MOMENT!?** WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!?"

...

'…Oh my god. No way.' There was a point for everyone where, even with their life crashing down or failing a certain task over and over again, one would get fed up. And it was clear that her personal aggression was building up sooner than expected.

"..."

"SO WHY!?"

"Vee."

"WHY HAVEN'T YOU LAUGHED AT ME FOR BEING SO MENTALLY FRAIL!? YOU HEARD ME SOB, **DIDN'T YOU!?** "

"VEE."

" **YOU OUT OF ALL PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE DONE SO ALREADY! AND YET YOU'RE STILL HAVEN'T-"**

"GODDAMMIT VEE! SHUT YOU DAMN MOUTH **FOR ONE SECOND!** "

"…" That seemed to do the trick as the fire in her eyes subsided instantly. Her make-up was now a mess, her eyes watered from all negative emotions welling up.

Samantha on the other hand was at an impasse. While not wanting to ever see someone cry, much less any of her friends (whose tormentors she'd happily punch without any remorse)…it was still the girl who made her last two years a living hell in this school.

The chance to simply end her mental confidence right here and now would be too big to pass up.

…

'Argh, fuck it.'

"Vee." This time the whining girl instantly responded, her brown eyes gazing at Samantha's dull blue ones. "Listen up and listen closely because I'll only say this one damn time. Understood?"

There was only a tiny nod when the Goth put both her hands on Vee's shoulders, much to the queen's shock as she flinched back from the sudden gesture. The black-haired downer was also feeling uncomfortable but well…she didn't know how to consult her properly…

"Get this…I can't believe I'm saying this…" Whispering under her own breath wasn't helping her nerves to calm down but luckily it went unnoticed. "Even if your mother is treating you like this and judging from the call it isn't any good..."

Another small but more hesitant nod.

"You shouldn't let her drag you down like this. That isn't like you for crying out loud!" Her anger was slowly seeping back, her mask of calmness shattering. Though instead of containing it, she redirected it at the problem at hand. "If there's one thing my ma told me about others it's this: Everyone can be happy if they don't let their problems get to them. Sure, I'm not smiling…like ever, but I'm still happy to be with that lovable idiot's group."

"…The l-lon-…M-Markus?"

The Goth couldn't help but smirk inwardly at her response…it seemed so surreal at the moment. As if her personality just turned off.

Like if their positions changed, with Samantha having the upper hand.

"Yeah. Instead of letting me be, he dragged me in…and now I can't help myself other than feeling relieved." Having her message spoken she let go of both of her arms before finally stepping away from the wall, creating a bit of distance between them. "'Let's make one thing clear Vee. I can't forgive you for these two years of crap between us…and I don't think it will change…"

"…"

"But...I'm willing to put our stupid feud aside…for now." Of all the things she expected to do in the future, offering a handshake towards her current nemesis was none of them. "So stop moping around and let us have a nice match. It wouldn't be any fun if I were to beat you into the ground like that."

"..."

The seconds ticked away, none of the two parties saying anything…until…

*Clap*

"You're on…Samantha. Keep the trash-talk in ya, because it'll be me who ends on top!" Finally, after that emotional breakout she returned her previous sarcastic snarl.

Yet it felt…not the same. There was a hint of friendliness in there…as if their rivalry just transformed from hate to simple sportsmanship. And then that 'snarl'…it rather seemed as if she was trying her best not to smile. Also...for the first time after their past she used her preferred name…which was relieving.

"In your dreams…Vee."

'Guess I prefer it that way. Now I don't have to watch her cry around anymore.'

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get some new make-up on these wonderful eyes."

"Fine, fine. You can leave me already if you can't stand me, highness." The sarcasm was current less tied to any hateful reasons…rather being simple banter. She would've been more shocked if her annoyance didn't return with a vengeance.

"Good that you know your place. See you in the final, loser!" And just like that the calming air around them died down, both of the girls back to their past selves…although not entirely.

Thinking about what just occurred, Samantha couldn't help but feel…slightly less hateful towards the narcissist even after everything that occurred. Like her? Hell no! Tolerate her? Still…probably no. But resent her entirely? Not anymore…at least for now.

The sigh that escaped her lips wasn't one of joy…albeit for now she had to plan ahead.

*Click*

"Hmm…her phone's destroyed beyond repair. Quite a shame; the money wasted."

"Jacob? Were you there the entire time!?" Turns out that the participant completely forgot about her teammate and close friend as she looked around the corridor's left corner, finding him crouching next to the broken remains that once were Vee's smartphone; its surface entirely cracked and the back of it missing.

"Sure was. You two seemed to have an intimate moment-"

"Which we totally didn't have."

"…Right. Again, I decided to look out for any authorities should've trouble appeared." Her partner stood up, opening his bottle of water and offering her another sip. "You look like you need a refresher."

"Gee, that obvious?" Even with her sarcastic response, any attempt at suppressing a smirk was for naught when Samantha gratefully took the bottle from his partner's hand and drank.

"Let's head out before the break's up. Don't want to keep Sugino and Hinata waiting!" Instead of waiting for her friend, she hurriedly ran off to find her team. She trusted Jacob to return in his own pace and keep it simple.

…

"…This new revelation could complicate things even further."

To her ignorance, Jacob didn't trail behind just yet. She completely missed him inspecting the queen's phone, causing her to stay less nervous than him on the inside. Taking a last longing look at the now turned-off and shattered smartphone, he couldn't entirely suppress the small snarl of annoyance crossing his features.

'Who know that the biggest narcissist known to this generation had a picture of Chiba and Hayami as her background picture?'

* * *

*RING*

"The last break before the finals has finally ended! As soon as all members of both teams arrive on the playing field, we'll begin with the match between 'Team Enyu' and 'The Alpha Line'~!"

Finally, took them long enough. I was really close to leaving the benches outside just to simply ditch Riley and Taro. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to have them here with me but…one can only stand the cries of your best friend's lack of sleep for so long.

"Guys, I'll move ahead now. You're going to be fine without me, right?"

"We should ask you that question!" Taro's pout didn't exactly help the situation since I had to hear him whining nonstop before…and I was annoyed, yes. It's like he was a parent who berated his own child for 2 hours straight before reminding them again about the same thing.

You know the feeling? No? Then you'll be in for one heck of a ride once it happens.

…And if it never occurs then you're either a saint or your parents are. Probably both, who knows.

"You're worrying over nothing Taro…and Riley." Cue the confused stare.

"We'll see each other on the stadium's spectator benches." I left them to their own troubles, deciding that more fresh air would turn my brain from regular to poetic. The tranquility of 3 peaceful people within silence surely didn't help either…

'I'm experiencing tranquility and feel worse. That proves it: Zenyatta's quotes don't apply to actual real logic-'

*Vrrr*

"Huh?" Feeling the familiar buzzing of my phone go off, I grab it before the entrance and flip it open…only to be greeted with a surprise.

* * *

 _(Message was sent at 10:52)_

 _From: Unknown_

 _To: Markus H._

 _I know that the timing is inconvenient but…please meet me in Miss Hoards' classroom. If you can, go there alone. Also, please delete this message as soon as you're done reading it…and make sure NO ONE follows you._

 _A friend_

* * *

'A friend? That doesn't sound suspicious and mysterious at all…'

Whoever just contacted me really did some work. Fact is, I usually never give my number to any random people. So…that either meant I slipped up or they prepared themselves really good.

'This could be a trap…and if I walked there alone, I could be in a lot of trouble.' So if I wanted to really be safe, I had to take a guess on who just contacted me. And with that, I needed to rule out any of 3-E's members first.

Thus, I decided to silently walk towards the sidelines' entrance yet not enter it. Instead, gazing through the glass pane and trying to make out all targets of interest would suffice. To my relief, both teachers and most of the upper row spectators were there. However, since the field of view wasn't too big from my position, seeing all possible members was impossible.

It was stupid but it had to to enough for now.

'And if anything ever went wrong, I could always call upon Korosensei.'

Did you seriously think that I wasted my weekend with simply lounging around? I didn't…and let's just say that we found a few special advantages.

To contact him…I was required to carry a sharp object with me (not like that). So that's why I had my dad's old flip knife with me. Pretty sure I was breaking school regulations with this but hey, don't think they'll see it if the tiny thing's hidden within my left jacket sleeve!

Feeling more secure with it, I made my way towards Adrianne's old room within the E's second floor. Her door was unmistakably damaged, its big cut on the paint shining within the building's mediocre lighting.

However…it was slightly ajar…and a spare janitor's key stuck in the lock.

'Okay, it's getting serious.' Now was not the time for jokes and fun. Ergo, before entering I moved the flip knife's blade so that it was unfolded…and hidden due to my sleeve. 'Can never be too sure. At least now…'

I felt like the main actor in one of those many horror movies…and being within it doesn't feel nice…

As my hand trembled (much like my nerves), I gently open the door…

"Took you long enough. I assume you arrived alone here?"

…

Okay then…guess I should have figured that sooner or later troubles would arise. But him?

"Yeah. So tell me: Why are you here…Takebayashi?" The skilled student / assassin politely stood at the other side of the room, his back facing the windows where we once spied as his glasses illuminated even under the poor light conditions.

"I'm not here on behalf of my class. Quite the opposite actually…" In one hand rested a document, the pristine-paper looking freshly printed while he adjusted his glasses and grey jacket. "Let's cut to the chase. I know you're hiding something…regarding my friend's ambitions."

…Fuck.

"How?" From my lips that didn't sound like a question. More like a demand…but I couldn't really hear my own voice since my head was pounding from the pressure.

"Your leg." Takebayashi pointed at my left leg, me looking closer at it as if there was a mystery behind it. "You seemed to have sprained it some while ago and…since you still have a slight limp in your step, it hasn't healed yet."

I could only nod without mentally breaking down as I rolled up my left pant leg, exposing the neatly applied bandage around my ankle. The doctor said that I needed to renew it every 2 days until the end of this week…and now look where this ended up.

"I tripped last week on the sidewalk, didn't stick the landing too well."

"…I would have believed that. Except…" He started to slowly trail closer to me, as if he was toying with me. "I found out that there have been footprints under the window of our room. And while this could only be a coincidence…" Now he was fully facing me, his perfect mask of calmness striking slight fear in my heart. "The fact that Terasaka never forgot to close the window, a task he actually volunteered to do, seems suspicious since it was open to that time."

"Get to the point already."

"Almost there, just bear with me." He held up his hand while the accented voice of his replied. "I could have just written all of this off as random events. And yet your group's visit was what fully convinced me. I mean…"

*Beep*

WHERE DID HE GET THE REMOTE FROM!?

"Playing spy on us while gazing at your own cameras? Not too smart of a move from your friends, Markus."

…Even if I were to lie right into his face now, I could never come up with something to cover up the fact that Adrianne's whiteboard was now displaying 3-E's classroom right before our eyes. There was no way that my brain was able to find a solution to this problem.

'Checkmate…'

"…What do you want?"

"It's simple. As I mentioned before, I'm here on my own accord. As such, nothing that has been spoken today will ever leave this room."

Huh? Why is he now…bowing?

"The reason I'm here…is that I don't want to kill Korosensei. Still don't want to kill him." WELL THAT'S BIG NEWS!

"And why?"

"…Aside from the fact that I wanted to save him before already…it's because he showed me the true value of my friends; helped me get my head straight. Take it from me if I say that he deserves to live. So please…"

"…Am I assuming what you're to say will be…"

"Yes. Let me help you keep my old teacher safe."

…

* * *

 _(To be continued…)_

 _(Fire Me): Exams suck, school sucks and learning sucks. The TL;DR version is basically that once my own schedule is finally cleared in say…2 weeks, I'll get back to regular upload speed._

 _And sorry if you thought that I was already dead but think again! I'm just working myself aflame. *Chuckle* Okay, I'll move into the corner again. See you in the next release!_

 _The Sir's out!_


	19. Deal, Duel and Respect

_Sheesh…now with my school break finally having settled in, there'll be no more interruptions! At least for the next 2 weeks. I'll be definitely using those to not only skim over every previous Chapter (to correct tense errors or other stuff) but also continue writing new releases for 'S101WK'!_

Samantha: *Stares* "Well…I'm not saying that you're pretty slow with your updates already…"

… _But?_

Samantha: *Shrugs* "Nevermind, that's exactly what I wanted to say."

… _I come back from my break and this is the first greeting that I get? Wow…_

Moore: "Could someone please tell me where I am!?"

 _Wait, Moore!? *Sighs* It's too early to deal with this kind of trouble._

Samantha: "But what else can we do about it?" *Takes out 2 envelopes* "It's not like we have a choice anyways…"

 _True. Uhm…Mister Moore?_

Moore: *Glances* "What?"

 _Could you maybe help us out with something? In return we'll send you back to…wherever you came from._

Moore: *Rubs chin* "Eh, I don't know kid…not in the mood to help out right now."

Samantha: *Groans* "I said it before: You either agree to this or we'll be stuck here!"

Moore: "Miss Si-"

Samantha: *Glares* **"What have talked about last time?"**

Moore: *Sweats nervously* "O-oh…r-right! I…I forgot about y-your name, heh…" *Turns around* "Sure! I…I'll help you out but only so I can return back to my sleep!"

 _*Deadpans* Well aren't you openly friendly… *Takes one letter from Samantha before handing it to Moore* It's nothing to difficult, actually. Just read out loud from who the letter you received was and its content, then you're pretty much done here._

Moore: "Then…there should be no problem." *Opens the envelope with **'PoisonCupcake101'** on it* **"1: how the Hell are the assassination kids speaking English! Sure they learned it but that doesn't mean there that good at speaking it."**

 _How are they here in this world in the first place? Why do they still have their gear on them? How come Ritsu- okay, I'll stop! *Chuckles* Okay, honestly, that's the whole mystery in itself! So far it hasn't been revealed who actually sent the 'AC'-characters into the real world in the first place, so I guess we'll be stuck with theories for now. *Shrugs*_

" **2: it would be so cool if Korosensei met Yusei Matsui, Idk why but I feel like the man would get along great since he practically created Assassination Classroom and the characters, plus I bet Korosensei is curious about the man who created his world."**

Samantha: *Growls* "Actually…he **has** visited him before…"

 _But it didn't end well. Nobody would have believed his creation coming to real life so he was left keeping quiet about it. And…we might have…bribed him in doing so. He was actually pretty hyped about him showing up! But eh...maybe we can arrange a proper meeting with him one day._

Samantha: "Not if **I** can stop it." *Opens the remaining letter from **'FictionPWR'** * **"AAAALRIGHT THEN. So, uh, uuh... I can't find anything to say except WHAT IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN WHAT WHAT WHAT and over and over again. So yeah!"**

 _This'll be the last Chapter of the 'Tournament'-Arc, as I like to call it. Don't worry, main events will pick up soon~!_

Samantha: *Squints her eyes* **"Btw tell Nagisa I say hi because why not?"**

*POOF*

Nagisa: *Panics* "W-WHY AM I H-HERE!?"

 _WHEN DID **YOU** GET HERE!?_

Samantha: *Puts a hand on Nagisa's shoulder* "Don't worry! Pretty sure you're just here for a few moments. By the way, Fiction here wanted to say hi." *Shows him the letter*

Nagisa: *Calms down slightly* "O-Oh…t-then hello as well-"

*POOF*

 _..._

Samantha: *Stares* "…What."

 _One second. *Turns around* You can leave, Moore!_

Moore: "Finally-"

*POOF*

… _Well that's new. Characters appearing on the reader's wishes and instant teleportation. Uh…_

Samantha: "Can we cut this already!?" *Pushes Fire away* "The OC's and 'S101WK' itself goes to Fire while the rest belong to their respective owners."

 _You're right. LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION! ROLL THE NEXT CHAPTER!_

…

 **CHAPTER 19 – DEAL, DUEL AND RESPECT**

* * *

…Could I really trust him?

Don't get me wrong! His offer sounds pretty good and all…but that's what currently bugs me. It just sounds too good.

If I learned anything from the mall incident last week, then that nothing goes perfectly right since Korosensei's arrival sometime last week. As if god wanted me to fail horrendously, he put me in enough situations to fry my nerves down, which would have stayed that way if it wasn't for the weekend.

And now let's look closer at the situation at hand. Single student of a class we were supposed to spy out, totally aware of what we did and giving me no other assurance, except his own word.

On the other hand…it's Takebayashi. Actually, everyone (except maybe Karma) could be a 100 percent trustworthy with promises.

…Okay, not really. That was just my inner fanboy talking. 'Well…might as well humor him.'

"…What's with the document?" I didn't want to sound too shady right there but I really needed something to convince myself. The small blade of my flip knife was still hidden under my jacket's sleeve and probably adapting the odor of my sweat.

His reply only came in the form of the document he held in his one hand, holding it out to me as if it was a prized possession.

"This isn't the actual paper, in case you're wondering. It's only a copy of the original but it'll help regardless."

What he held before me was a paper filled with information…regarding…Ritsu. More than Adrianne found out.

"I'm guessing that you want us to do something…concerning her?"

"You'd be correct." I finally took a few steps back as I took the undamaged paper from him with my free hand. "See, within the next few days they're going to install a new AI-"

Okay buddy, let me stop you right there. "Hold it, we already know about her." That seemed to get a facial response other than calmness out of him. "Yet I would like to know why you're giving us that information."

"Well…" Wait, was he blushing!? "I prefer her the way she is right now…and it'd be appreciated if you'd leave her program the way it is."

…

…Uhm. Is he what I think he is?

"Dude…are you…in love with her?"

"There…could be slight…preferences from my side involved. Nothing else."

…

Uh huh. Sure.

"Okay then…so that's it." The sheet itself was filled with quite a lot information about her specifics, regarding her contents…all of which I couldn't understand since it was Jacob's area of knowledge. However, I could read enough of it to be convinced somewhat by the legitimacy.

"But…"

But? Wait, there's more- 'THAT WAS UNITENTIONAL, I SWEAR!'

"I'd also be willing to help you out in gathering information. We could meet personally in private during free hours…undercover of course." That…actually doesn't sound like a bad deal overall. We'd get a lot of insider details while working together with one of 3-E's buddies in secret.

On the other hand, there still isn't too much that'd guarantee me a solid promise without any risks. Quite the opposite actually…we'd have another spot where it could turn out worse than it already is.

Also…who ever said that he's actually on our side? What if he just plays pretend while still siding with 3-E?

Conclusion: another gamble and (yet) another opportunity to let it backfire horribly onto us.

…

I'm going to regret this, aren't I? 'Famous last words…'

"Alright. I'd be willing to let you in…though, let's get back to our classes first. Can't miss the final match now, can we?"

"Right." Ah, there's that smile which I liked! At least he was considerate enough to hold the door open for me as I thought about where to put the paper-

"Uhm…Markus-san?"

"What happened with the suffix!? Also, yeah?"

"Disregarded it to sound more 'friendly'. Also, why is your left sleeve covering your hand?" His glasses seemed to reflect the halls poor lighting perfectly as he spoke, his finger pointing at the somewhat awkwardly hanging limp on my side.

'Oh. Well…'

"That? Uhm…let's just say it was…a reassurance."

"You're not very subtle about the knife, no?" Ehehe…whoops.

"No…not really."

"…" Hey, if you're going to judge me then say something as a response at least! I don't need another deadpan like the one from Nagisa!

"…You should work on concealing it better."

"Yeah. I really should, Takeshi." Rounding the corner to the closest staircase.

"Do I even want to know why you chose a nickname?"

"Are you kidding me? We're friends and basically business partners now!"

"Right…business partners."

* * *

"Now, you two! As this is the final of our cup, I want to see a good, clean match! Alright~?"

"Whatever."

"Hm."

The final round was about to commence for Samantha, Jacob, Sugino and Hinata. The 4 of them had a last discussion as the female member of 3-E tried giving a pep-talk. It helped somewhat…still, all of them instantly got nervous again when they had to stand on the field.

Dozens of other students were shouting louder than in the previous rounds, either rooting for one team or simply expecting them to play already. For Samantha, it was slowly getting annoying.

"Do they **have** to shout like that?"

"Nah…it could be worse." / "Yeah! I actually like their calls~!" Except that her teammates seemed to enjoy this change of pace. 'Well, they aren't wrong. It was worse in the earlier days.' She might as well let them have their moment-

"Skunk! Are you listening!?"

"Huh? What do you want now, Vee!?" The Goth didn't want to look directly at her current 'rival', yet the sense of sportsmanship in her held strong. Her narcissist-like smirk was back in full effect but…her arms were simply hanging from her sides instead of being crossed before her chest.

"I said let's...have a good match."

"W-Wuh-"

'THAT certainly came unexpected!'

"Uhm…you-"

"DON'T THINK WE'RE BUDDIES!" 'Oh, okay…'

"Didn't expect that, no worries! Just don't start tripping on your ass!"

"AS IF!"

Mister Moore decided to stop their small 'discussion' before any trouble could further arise by stepping between the two and effectively interrupting them. Jacob was definitely close to shaking his head in frustration while Taro and Riley gave into their feelings, dragging stares from other spectators towards them.

"Now, now! You can settle your debates on the fairest of courts: The playing field!"

"…Right." / "Sheesh, fine..."

Neither of them seemed to be up for more talking, so their referee didn't waste his breath by explaining any rules again. Both of them were solely focused in on each other, never breaking vision contact once. He simply grabbed a coin from his pocket, showing it to both leaders-

"Heads." / "Tails."

'Just like last time.' Sugino and Hinata might have given an incredulous look at that instant exclamation but Jacob could only inwardly smile. They haven't changed in their behavior, even with over a year behind them. Moore seemed to express the same feelings since he didn't comment further on the scenario and only threw the coin into the air.

…

*CLAP*

The entire hall suddenly seemed to silent down, both rivals only seeing each other within their vicinity.

"…" / "…Dammit." / 'Crap.' The brown-haired friend could clearly see the frustration on Samantha's face, his own rising as Vee's smirk grew slightly bigger and conceited.

"So guess I'll start~! Then good luck, skunk! You'll need it~!" No retort came from Medrano's rival who only decided to take a few steps back for Moore to place the soccer ball in the middle of the playing field, Medrano standing right behind it.

"ALRIGHT! On the count of three we'll start with the final round of this tournament! ARE YOU READY!?"

"YEEAHH!" / "GO, 'TEAM ENYU'!" / "KICK THEIR ASSES, 'ALPHA LINE'!" The entire hall was filled to the brim with vigor, excitement and hope.

Even Karasuma who stood in the background for most of the time seemed to have adopted a small smile on his features. 'Heh…sure reminds me of the days before the military.'

"3!"

'This time I'll beat you for good…Samantha!' Vee angled her stance and balanced her weight out, making sure she'd be set for the kickoff.

"2!"

'I'll not let you have that title as yet another trophy, Vee!' The Goth noticed how her rival was already preparing herself for…something. She couldn't exactly say what was about to happen but judging from the angled feet, she'll most likely kick into action the moment Moore finished counting down.

"1!"

'I WON'T LET YOU WIN!' / 'I WON'T LOSE TO YOU!'

"GO!"

Not another second was wasted as Vee started sprinting into Samantha's side of the field, her two buffed teammates running just behind her while the other girl stood alone in front of their goal. The bold rush seemed to surprise Hinata somewhat, yet Jacob saw that tactic already and positioned himself before the muscled guy, letting his team leader do the rest.

"Saw that one coming!" Meanwhile, Samantha managed to catch the ball in the other leader's hold just as she tried to dribble past her, yet failing to keep possession of it since the other buffed student was still there.

He in return got almost shut down by Hinata…if he hadn't passed it to the first guy, stumbling past Jacob with a stunning amount of dexterity while his partner instantly responded by shooting it towards the goal.

 ***THUMP***

"GHA!" Sugino (still partially surprised by the amount of skill their foes actually possessed) seemed unfazed by the situation and quickly responded by catching the quick shot just as it touched the left bar.

'I forgot…he and Hinata are trained for these situations…' Yet for sports? That was the mystery that seemed to bug Samantha's mind. These kids were assassins, not athletes! 'Well…at least not specifically. Still, their training gave them a lot of advantages to work with here. And it's still Sugino and Hinata we're talking about.'

Vee also seemed slightly shocked that her plan failed so quickly. Normally she'd safe this sudden rush with her teammates for the end of the match as a morale breaker. Though, since her rival was not someone to back down that easily, she would have preferred to get an early advantage. ' **Grrr…** guess that plan's out of the window.'

"Samantha! You're up!" There was the roller from Sugino.

"Right! Hinata!" / "Got it!" 'Team Enyu's main striker decided to rely on both their quick reaction times, already moving ahead of the first dude as Sugino rolled the ball quickly past him as well into Samantha's position, Hinata following her from the left side.

Only Vee stood in front of them, her own teammates hot on the girl's heels with her left foot angled down. Her eyes looked directly at the ball, waiting for any action to occur.

'I'm not falling for it again, skunk!'

Her patience paid off when Samantha tried to pass to her teammate as she literally leaped from her spot, gaining even more momentum from jumping with her angled foot first. Again, Hinata's reaction time gave them an advantage but due to missing time, the only thing she could do was close the gap by herself and risk everything with a shot at 'Alpha Line's goal.

Although the ball slid under the 'queen's legs, it lost quite a bit of speed as it grazed her stretched out heel…

 ***THUMP***

"That…was close..." / "Dang it!" That slowed her shot down just enough for the goalkeeper of Vee's team to catch the ball. Her reaction time didn't seem quite as good as that of her teammates, yet she was able to move towards the lower right corner of her goal and successfully block the ball.

While retreating back to their side, Samantha risked a small glance at the timer standing next to Moore and Santa, displaying '01:14' on its display, painfully slow ticking upwards.

'This is going to suck…'

* * *

"This is truly a spectacle, folks! None of the teams waste their time chatting around and already go all-in!"

"They're not holding back."

"Neither of them…but at least Sam doesn't look pissed like she always does."

"I just want Sammy to win…"

They were surely going at it. Right of the start they sped past their opponents and went for a quick goal. 'You've got to hand it to them…all of them aren't to be underestimated.'

Never imagined that a dude who looked like your typical macho could be as graceful as an ballerina while faking someone out, much less Jacob who's usually keeping a calm head against anyone who tries that stuff. And then Vee's own timing! I knew that she was pretty good already (judging from the first two tournaments) but that was something beyond her previous skill!

"That girl on their side…isn't she from the Athletics club?" It wasn't usual for Riley to go deeper into details, yet when something caught his interest he'd normally ponder about it so long that others would think he'd be frozen on the spot.

Hell, he'd think about this more than I normally do!

"Mhh! She's actually pretty nice but…I wonder why she would side with Vee?" Kayano and Hinano stopped their activities and sat down one row before ours, Nagisa looked more comfortable with none of the previous spanners gawking at him and Takebayashi sat himself back down next to Okuda. The rest was either in their previous stops or strewn around the stands.

"That question is to stay a mystery for the future, Taro…" Seriously, it has only been 5 minutes played and none of them are letting off for even 1 second! Samantha and Vee had a slight trail of sweat rolling down their faces while Sugino and that other girl stopped at least a few shots aimed at their goals.

Jacob and Hinata had a hard time stopping the advances of Vee's goons, though they managed to hold their ground up to now and even ended up with the ball 2 times. They even looked better in shape than those guys as there was yet a trail of sweat to appear on their foreheads. Only the slightly accelerated breathing from Jacob indicated any form of exhaustion on them.

So say the least, this match turned dead serious right from the start-

"OH NO!"

"And there it is! 'The Alpha Line's leader manages to secure the ball from Miss Simmons with an unexpected dash from her left!" Even with them giving their all, they were still prone to mistakes…which we now had to painfully learn as our gobsmacked Goth recovered from tripping on her right foot while Vee rushed past her.

And that wasn't even the end of it. My jaw was close to unhinging itself when our seemingly calm Jacob attempted to rush at Vee, only to be blocked by the same dude who acted like a professional dancer before…leaving only Sugino between her and their goal. Hinata might have been able to intervene, if she hadn't ran too far ahead. 'They really weren't kidding in the series. She's just the kind of person to act before thinking…'

I wasn't exactly sure how it happened…but it felt like time itself slowed down when Vee's right leg swung back for her shot. The weird thing was how she angled herself for the shot, with her upper body centered to the left-

"THAT'S A FAKEOUT!" IRINA!?

"WHAT!?"

And as if our nervousness couldn't have risen any further, it seemingly did as Medrano used the momentum of her body for a last-second pass with her foot's side towards the second dude who…already aimed at his uncovered half of the goal…and since Jacob was still closer to our side's goalkeeper, that pass wasn't against the rules.

"SUGINO! WATCH OUT!"

It was too late. He didn't expect such a sudden change in tactics…and even his fully stretched leap towards the ball's direction left too big of a gap to miss…

 ***THUD***

"GOAL! THAT'S 1 TO 0 FOR 'THE ALPHA LINE' IN THE 6TH MINUTE! THIS IS ALSO THE FIRST GOAL THAT 'TEAM ENYU' HAS RECEIVED WITHIN THIS TOURNAMENT, LEAVING THEIR STREAK IN SHAMBLES!"

…

None of us moved as the crowd roared at our sides. Hinano's previously raised arms died down in their tracks…all traces of vigor gone from her features. Same with Kayano who's energized demeanor slipped away like a mask.

Everyone else either celebrated for the first goal of the match or only stared in surprise at the sudden turn of events.

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

"IF THEY LOSE THIS THEN I'LL RIP THEIR HEADS OFF!"

"Calm down Adrianne…you're causing a scene."

" **OI…** as if you'd have a say in this, Eric!"

* * *

We could only hope that their combined skill would turn this around.

Or in other words: We're doomed.

* * *

"Goddammit…" Morality and Bravery seemed to disappear as soon as the celebratory screaming from the stands roar, with Hinata hanging her head down and Jacob openly gritting his teeth. Sugino looked the same as before…only more on the competitive side now.

And Samantha?

'This is my fucking fault…if I hadn't committed such a mistake!' The timer seemed to tick down even quicker now when most of their team completely recovered. Only Samantha was stuck in her internal rant, only noticing the match continuing before due to Moore blowing into his whistle.

And as if it couldn't have been worse…

"What are they doing!?" / "HEY! That's against the rules!" / "How are they supposed to land a goal!?" Both the beefy guys decided to play hardcore defender all of a sudden, standing slightly before the sides of their goalkeeper. There would have been a slight gap from the front…

"Come on…I thought you were going to defend your title, skunk~!"

Except hers truly was there, both knees angled and bent down to block any sudden rush. 'They're playing on time!'

"So they never wanted to play a regular match…" Their own goalkeeper frowned at the prospect of their victory quickly diminishing near the end. Not only was the morale of his partners lowered from the enemy goal being the first one they received in this tournament…but also due to said player being one of Vee's lineup.

"We need to do something…and **fast.** " For Jacob, it wasn't a question on how to win anymore…rather how they were supposed to score an own goal in the first place. Regardless of being unfair or not, their strategy was fair (according to this tournament's rulebook) if not all of their members take part in this. And since Vee was technically still actively playing while covering their blind spot…there wasn't much they could do.

Even worse…the timer next to Moore showed '12:56' currently-

"Now there's only 2 MORE MINUTES to play! Will 'Team Enyu' finally come back or-"

"SHUT UP MOORE! I'M TRYING TO THINK HERE!" Samantha was pretty much done at this point. Even with only her rival standing before her, she was on the verge of losing it-

* * *

 _"If all of them are such well-trained miniature assassins, I'd not want to find out their_ _actual_ _strength."_

* * *

'Huh? Actual…strength…'

* * *

 _SO much in fact that Hinata sometimes outshined the skilled striker in terms of overall actions._

* * *

'She's…stronger than me…yet…'

* * *

… _proceeded to overrun the enemy teams with their sheer speed and precision…_

* * *

'…!? THAT'S IT!' The worry on the Goth's face subsided from one moment to the next, a confident smile crossing her features that was only visible to Vee and the rest of 'Alpha Line'. 'Showtime...'

"Hinata." The sudden spark in her was so strong that she didn't need to look back…and only listen to her team's responses.

"Eh? Yes?"

"Tell me…how fast could you actually run?"

"H-Huh?" Confusion laced with surprise rang behind Samantha as the expected response from her teammate was heard. 'I know I'm risking a lot here…even the cover of our operation. But for once…screw it!'

"Your movements seemed blocked off, even self-restricted most of the time…so be honest: How fast?" Sam was pretty sure that both Jacob's and Sugino's surprised stare were targeted towards her. Yet all points of reasoning left her beforehand. 'Not like I'll need them for this.'

"…Really fast. Why? Got something on your mind?"

"Just one thing. I need you to run on standby next to me…and when I give you the signal, go nail them down."

"…Alright. I trust you with this, you know?" Small traces of confidence seemed to be clear in her voice, though that would definitely suffice for now. That's all Samantha needed really.

"Right. Jacob."

"Dudette?"

"Make sure you keep Vee and her goons occupied." That would be all Jacob needed to understand what her plan was going be. And he found himself ready for it.

"Understood."

"Alright. LET'S ROLL!" Some might berate her for this sudden change in tactic. Though…Medrano did it first, so it would probably be fine anyways.

"What the-!? Haven't you learned from your failures, skunk!?"

"Oh trust me, I HAVE~!" The distance between the two was getting smaller by the second, Sam's eyes purposefully trailing to her right where Jacob was starting to run ahead of her with all his leftover stamina. Though…the real surprise was about to hit them hard. 'Let's see how precise she really is!'

A few meters left…and-

"HINATA! **GO!** " The team leader gave her opponents to time to react against the sudden dash of Hinata, overtaking both her and Jacob before Samantha shot quickly to her left, letting her partner take the soccer ball. Vee didn't have the time to attempt a dash towards the quick assassin, being left in the dust before she could comprehend what just occurred…

The same applied for both the guys and their goalkeeper.

And then there was the perfectly prepared shot passing all 3 of them.

 ***THUD***

"GOOOAALLL! BOTH TEAMS ARE EVEN NOW AFTER THE GOAL FOR 'TEAM ENYU' IN THE 14TH MINUTE! NOT EVEN THE COMBINED DEFENSE OF 3 PLAYERS COULD STOP THIS VICIOUS SHOT FROM HINATA OKANO! 1 TO 1!"

"YEEESSS!" / "THEY GOT HER GOOD!" / "LET'S GO, TEAM ENYU~!" The spectators were shouting uncontrollably now, their friends actually not being the loudest in the hall. Jacob could see their cheerleaders returning to life and even saw part of his classes holding up signs with their name, distributed by Rio (and surprising, Karma).

"That's was great! That really worked!" Sugino openly smiled now, definitely relieved by the saving grace of their success. Albeit this match wasn't finished yet, they could finally take a breather. Same went for Hinata who was waving at the cheering crowd, celebrating this goal's glory fully as her red-colored hair shone under the gym hall's lighting. Her movements turned slightly sluggish from the sudden full-on dash but she would be fine for now….

Though for two people, this was far from over. So Samantha need to close this.

"You two…remember what we discussed before our match?"

* * *

" _Are you seriously considering to perform this!? We haven't even trained together!"_

 _All 4 members of 'Team Enyu' were in the corridor connected with Hall 1, waiting for their call to step in and present themselves. During their time, Samantha was pondering about last year's encounters between her group and Vee. Each time was annoying for all participants…and she would surely have an ace up her sleeve._

" _Might as well try it. If it works, it'll catch them totally off-guard."_

" _But…isn't that against the rules?"_

" _Under normal circumstances, yes. However, I won't rule anything out in case of Vee pulling her usual shtick."_

* * *

"CHAD! RUTH! **MOVE IT!** MAKE SURE THEY DON'T GET ANOTHER ONE IN!" Vee Medrano was surely pissed by now, yet after this goal she could only see red…the red that clad Samantha's body like a glorified sea buoy. On her command, both beefy guys quickly moved out of the previous formation, forming another (now focused) wall.

"WE'RE GOING FOR IT! HINATA, JACOB! LET'S END THIS FOR GOOD!" / "ALRIGHT!" / "Hm." Yet there would be one more opportunity for the Goth. And she surely wanted to end this with a signature stamp on it…

"THE LAST 20 SECONDS ARE NOW KICKING IN LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AND IT LOOKS LIKE BOTH TEAMS ARE TRYING A FINAL RUSH TOWARDS THE OPPOSITE SIDE!"

All of the charging members were mostly running on adrenaline (except the trained assassin), simply focused on their matched rival before them. Even so, the emotions fueling Sam and Vee caused both of them to rush ahead faster than both of their teammates, making most of them stare in surprise until they hurriedly followed suit.

Medrano only wanted to win against her biggest nemesis…same for Simmons…

So they mentally settled on a final clash without even thinking about it.

None of the two backed down or slowed their running speed. And just as they came into close contact…

A blur of shadowed emotions whizzed past the arrogant light…now with a streak of black and white under her might, leaving an unmoving bully after the fight.

* * *

"THE BALL'S POSSESSION GOES TO MISS SIMMONS AFTER A VERY QUICK DUEL, LEAVING ONLY THEIR DEFENSIVE WALL AT THEIR GOAL!"

"She got it…"

No way.

"SHE ACTUALLY GOT IT!" / "SAMMY BESTED HER~!" Riley and Taro celebrating like little children? Check. Karasuma and Irina staring as well? Check. The rest of 3-E about to burst from happiness?

Yep. All of this was happening. So WAKE UP, BRAIN!

"WOOHOO! GO SAMANTHA!"

There was only the patented triple-trio wall standing before between them and 'our' victory. Judging from the 'queen's utterly shocked expression, Samantha got her personal victory already…and if they can score a final goal before the timer ran down, it'd be a full win. 'ARGH! THE ANTICIPATION IS INFECTIOUS!'

Now they only had to cross that stupid wall again…

"THIL WILL BE THE LAST OPPORTUNITY! GIVE THEM A LAST ROOT, EVERYONE!"

"YOU CAN DO IT!" Rio was also lost under the spectator's hype, standing up from her seat and letting every ounce of enthusiasm take over. And honestly!? All of us were lost in it as well!

Sam's gaze (and head) seemed to trail between both Jacob and Hinata, as if deciding on who to pass the ball to. Finally, her eyes settles on our glasses-wearing friend as she- PASSED THE BALL INSTEAD TO THE OTHER SIDE!

Just like before, Hinata pulled ahead with her absurd speed, though our other male friend followed suit as fast as he could…leaving Samantha slightly in the back while she ran with her previous speed.

"Another one!?" / "GO HINATA~!" Was that really so good of a choice!? With all 3 of Vee's goons they surely wouldn't fall twice for the same strategy-

"SORRY BOYS BUT I ALREADY HAD THE LIMELIGHT!" Instead of copying her previous actions, she actually did an instant pass to the other speedy player-

Wait, is she literally going for-

"Checkmate…GO!"

LET ME FINISH THIS MENTAL SENTENCE ALREADY, JEEZ!

"A double fakeout…" Both teachers' voices sounded behind us rather quietly, not getting drowned out in the now semi-silent air around us. I didn't need to take a look at their faces to spot any sort of surprise (or slight shock)…their tone said the entire thing!

The only thing that made this scene much sweeter was the foreboding smirk of Samantha. 'Alright, that's about it.' STAND UP ME AND LET IT FREE!

And now in unison:

"GO FOR IT, SAM!"

Every person's breath was halted when she aimed her shot into the upper right corner…and was perfectly open since both the guys were left confused from the double pass. Their goalkeeper was left less clueless than her teammates, staying just clear enough of the situation to extend her glowed hands towards the flying ball…

 ***THUD***

Yet she only managed to scrape the bottom of it…as it flew into the goal's net for this game's decider.

…

Goal.

"AHHHH! THAT'S GAME, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! 'TEAM ENYU' DID THE UNTHINKABLE AT THE LAST 10 SECONDS, WINNING THE GAME WITH AN INCREDULOUS 2 FOR 1 AGAINST 'ALPHA LINE'!"

I can't exactly recollect what happened afterwards. Only the super-loud screaming from a multitude of students, the happy dance from Taro and Rio overly-smug grin were the only things were left in my memory.

But whatever occured back there...we won.

* * *

"Argh…those last minutes left me drained..."

Most of the day's school hours passed after Moore finished the winner's ceremony for their victorious lineup. While they stood before the thousand-or-so students, Hinata and Sugino cheered at all of them with their own class in focus. Speaking of 3-E, they all celebrated for their victory, sending loud cheers and congratulations to their position.

"At least the hallways are air-conditioned…"

Even Markus, Taro and Riley took part in it and openly showed their feelings for this day's turn of events. Only one particular person was missing from the party-

"Here."

"Eh…uhm, thanks- ...Vee."

'As if the day couldn't get any weirder…' Her most-hated nemesis just walked up next to her, handed her a cold bottle of water and sat down beside her on the ground. 'What parallel world is this?'

Cherishing the cold beverage running down her throat, both her and the queen of their school just sat there, looking at the tiled wall in front of them and daring to create eye-contact.

"So…3 in a row, huh?"

"Yep. Not like I care much for the title anyways."

"You never do! That's why it's even more annoying to lose to you."

"Story of my life. Now, what are you going to do? Return to that royal personality of yours?"

"Maybe…but, wasn't the tournament supposed to last until the end of the day?"

"Actually…yeah. Why, are we still competing?"

"Technically. So...let's return to normal tomorrow…Sam."

And honestly? For today she didn't feel like complaining...

"Sure Vee. Why not…"

Why not, indeed.

…

* * *

 _(To be continued…)_

 _(Fire Me): AHHHH! I'M BACK FROM MY HOLIDAY BURNOUT! This Chapter has been sponsored by Vaporwave, energy drinks and a ton of rewriting processes. It took a while to decide on what to write but at least it's been done now. At least this concludes the 'Tournament'-Arc for now on.  
_

 _Sorry for keeping you wait this long, just…some things do take their time, you know? And rushing those was never my style so yeah…glad to be back here._

 _Thanks again for reading the latest installment of 'S101WK' and may we see each other the next time._

 _The Sir's out!_


	20. Gatecrash and Exchange

_FROM THE ASHES I ARISE! *Poses*_

Karasuma: *Groans* "And for that I've agreed to stay longer?"

Kayano: *Stares* 'At least he's trying again…not like he's having any success but still…'

 _Well, some of you were already wondering where I've been. For one, I apologize that there haven't been any sort of updates as of…a while. I won't try to talk around this but my interest in writing stories had stunted after I wrote Chapter 19. It's back but not entirely so no guarantees from me._

Kayano: "Wouldn't it be less tragic if you just were to announce your breaks beforehand?"

…

Karasuma: "She…has a point."

 _Eheh…uhm, let's just blame my laziness for now, alright?_

Kayano: "Good!" *Brings out 2 envelopes* "Because I want to have some fame for once as well!"

Karasuma: "Is that why you agreed to coming here with me?"

 _Why doesn't that even surprise me? So: Who'll go ahead? Either both of you take one or I'll take the first step._

Karasuma: "I'll do it, just so I can return to working." *Grabs the left envelope* "This is from a certain **'Guest'**. Anyone familiar?"

 _Oh, him! Yeah, he probably isn't doing too…well… *Sees the VHS-tape within the letter* How did he even manage to fit that in there?_

Karasuma: "Doesn't matter. Let's just see what this is about." *Inserts the tape into a fitting VHS-player* "And while we're at it, why did you buy a VHS-player in the first place?"

… _I've listened to too much vaporwave, okay?_

TV: *Static* "THEY'RE STILL CHASING ME! WHY ARE THEY **STILL** CHASING ME!?"

…

Karasuma: *Deadpans* "…"

Kayano: "…" *Grimaces*

 _*Presses off-button as screams were heard* …Let's just assume he's alright and move on, okay?_

Karasuma: *Turns away* "Someone will have to get their pay docked…"

Kayano: "I guess it's my turn then." *Opens envelope from **'FictionPWR'** * **"*smirks* I LOVE the turn of events! It was truly amazing, and I'm sure stuff between Sam and Vee is just going to go for the better.  
But I AM still concerned for what's gonna happen for Koro-Sensei. I mean, how much percent of the 3-E class actually wants him dead?"**

Kayano: "Uhm…I can't tell you the exact amount of how many want him dead. Yes, many of us still want to complete our previous goal but few of us changed for the better." *Resumes reading* **"Tell Karma I say hi! Yes I'm going to do that until I get bored of it."**

…

Kayano: "Uhm, is something supposed to happen now?"

 _Normally they appear through some weird magic or law. Whatever, I'll relay your greetings to him once he appears again. With the submissions done and most of my time gone, I'll just remind you of the disclaimer and get this show rolling-_

Kayano: "LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!"

 _WRONG LINE!_

 **...**

 **CHAPTER 20 – GATECRASH AND EXCHANGE**

* * *

There was always a balance in life. If someone decides to be a douche to anyone else, karma would catch up with them sooner or later. If you bought yourself a brand new pair of jeans with your parents' credit card, your loving mom and dad possibly worked an hour or two more if money wasn't overflowing…

"I really could be doing something better with my time…"

And if your school gave you free hours due to certain events, they'd always force you into catching up with their work. To be fair, most of her coworkers managed to keep their pile of corrected tests and other paperwork nice and small. Thus all of them only had to stay until regular hours-

"That brat switched the same town names up. Guess he'll have to deal with a grade lower."

Except our dear Adrianne Hoards. Being forced to stay on Friday could be considered evil but the unique teacher took it with humor in some degree. Having won the betting pot from the annual soccer tournament and stocking up her wallet with it raised her mood in more than one way. Sure, buying sweets for Markus and his friends, bringing Irina the promised bottle of cough drops and having to deal with the owner of the 'Milford Diner' for excessive shouting wasn't too much sunshine…

"Just two more…c'mon Adrianne. Ignore the cramping of your hand…and the progressively rising boredom." But knowing that the afternoon spent in her classroom would be done soon gave Adrianne hope. Her Fairlady Z was waiting in the parking lot, a newly bought copy of some recent trend manga on the passenger seat and only a few miles between her and the closest fast food chain.

"And…there. Huh, less people failed than I expected. Weird…" Skimming through the actual answers over time she wanted to make sure if everything was corrected accordingly to the state's norm. Why? Her curiosity was piqued. It wasn't a surprise when 1 or 2 of these kids actually improved. But over 1/3 of them having huge improvement? That isn't normal-

*Thud* *Thud* "Hello? Anyone in here?"

'Someone else is still alive? Hmm…probably the caretaker.' The guy was as silent as a church mouse when working but actually pretty nice. Adrianne actually invited him to drink with her once but in the end she got to enjoy herself with the manager from 'LeBans'. "Door's unlocked, talk face to face if you want something!"

"Oh, sorry Adrianne!" The poorly conditioned door creaked painfully loud as it opened, revealing…

"Kayano? Apologies for my wording but why the hell are you still here!?" To her utter and dumbfounded surprise, none other than a slightly nervous Kayano Kaede was standing on the door's entrance, her hands hidden behind her back and some comfy-looking clothes adoring her figure. 'Just stay calm…that girl knows nothing about us. I hope.'

"You see, I am currently giving tutoring with Fuwa and Nagisa. We ran out of chalk and the school's caretaker doesn't seem to be anywhere so…would you still have some left over?"

"Just that? Uhm, sure…one second." To Adrianne, that sounded like a pretty harmless request. She knew of the lack of modern equipment in the school but never bothered to actually bring it up during any meetings. 'Some of these geezers prefer that blackboard anyways.' Yet she didn't forget who just asked, thus keeping the student in her edge of vision as good as possible.

Eventually she found the ripped-open package of chalk in her teacher's desk. "Here you go." Without a big care she threw the thing in a high curve at the girl with outrageous hair. 'How no one comments on their hairstyles baffles me…' Under normal circumstances, she'd expect any other student to trip, let the thing fall down or do any other stupid stunt.

*THUD*

"Why didn't you just pass it to me!?" And yet the miniature assassin caught the damn thing. True, she seemed to slightly panic at the sudden projectile and her carelessness but for Adrianne, it was obvious how there wasn't even an effort in stretching or adjusting weight. Her act was almost perfect. 'But she doesn't know her audience well enough, so she's tripping up without noticing it. If I wouldn't be any wiser of her status of actress, nowhere would I have caught on.'

A tired shrug was her only response as she continued packing, causing Kayano to pout and turn away with a grimace…

"Hey, wait." At least until she was one step away from the doorframe.

"Is something bothering you?"

"…You said you and the other guys are giving tutoring?" For some reason, the girl only smiled more brightly when hearing the uninterested tone from the teacher.

"Yes, we are! Most of us offered to do this to get more friendly with the students and earn ourselves some money~!"

"…" It took Adrianne one moment to catch on.

Then it clicked.

"Say…for which grades are you offering…that tutoring?"

"Oh, well…we didn't really decide on specific ones, so I guess our club offers it to anyone who asks!"

'…This is unbelievable.'

"…Uhm, did I say something wrong?" The teacher didn't even realize that she wasn't mentally ranting again, only getting snapped out of it by the suddenly creeped out expression from the green-haired girl.

"No…no, everything's gucci. Say…do you allow visitors?"

* * *

'How in all that is holy did I miss out on this!?' There wasn't too much in the frequently used classroom in the school's D area. A few tables, some chairs and the simple blackboard in front of the class to gaze their eyes on until they bled.

"Oh, Adrianne! What made you visit us?" / "Uhm, h-hello…" She should have suspected how many of her handed in tests ended up so well. 3-E decided to boost everyone's grades. Nagisa was sitting together with a few kids and even 2 teenagers on one huge circle of tables, correcting them in English while Fuwa stood in front of a rolled up map of the Roman Empire, teaching some freshmen about-

'History. That explains so many things right now…' Well, they were giving tutoring. Only when Adrianne showed up did most of them actually stare at her, with the two miniature assassins being polite enough to greet her.

"I heard from dear Kayano here that you were engaging in more school activities. Not that I'm a fan of that but it shows your good will." The tired teacher walked further into the room, ignoring the dozens of curious eyes boring through her alcohol-destroyed soul, seating herself to the far end of the room's space and observing everyone like an owl.

"Go on, just don't assume I'm here in the first place." Many of the kids were having invisible question marks over their head by now. And quite honestly, Adrianne was revaluing her own sanity as well. 'Maybe I'm just curious…or maybe I got myself spiked with them doing this without my knowledge.'

The awkward feel in the air stayed for a little bit, some of the younger students and freshmen looking at each other while most of the older ones simply resumed learning, knowing the unpredictability of History teacher. And Nagisa, Fuwa and Kayano?

Tutoring they did. Quite well even. Like…really well. Nagisa was a bit slow in his explanation but considering how he made sure to have all of his pupils understand the subject was remarkable. 'The depiction with Sakura is quite accurate.'

Fuwa was very enthusiastic in her group, even going so far as to weave self-thought stories about the Roman soldiers to give the students a better in-sight into their mindsets and behavior. Like her own method of 'Battle Scenario', she let the boys and girls use their own creativity more. Also impressive.

And the actress of the three? She didn't really teach something. Instead she acted more like an overseer, making sure to answer their questions and try to explain herself what they didn't understand. 'Relatable…her favorite school subject was Japanese and I doubt anyone else here, other than 3-E could speak it.' She even offered her a glass of water once…might give her a few bonus points.

*RING*

"And that summarizes today's tutoring lesson! We hope to see you next time~!"

A whole 30 minutes passed when the final bell for today rang, their spectator slightly drowsy from the wooden chair's sudden comfort. The smaller kids thanked their tutors while rushing out of the door, the older ones taking their time until all books and notes were carefully packed into their school bags.

And Adrianne?

"W-What…it's already over?" She wished for never saying these words as all three members of 3-E gave her some pretty solid deadpans as a response. Being sated of her interest, Adrianne simply grabbed her bag, stood up and turned one last time towards the assassins for today.

*Yawn* "That surely was a good lesson you gave there. I hope you'll keep that standard up." Just as her feet left the occupied room and came into the hallway she started trotting faster while happily humming to herself:

"These kids are doing my job for me~!"

* * *

Ah. Another Saturday, another day spent…not home?

That's right. For once I was actually in the shopping district, sitting in a pretty secluded café close to the main court, enjoying a little bowl of chocolate chip cookies with a cola. And no, I wasn't worried about the excessive amounts of sugar killing me-

Oh, if I was worried about getting fat? Uh…didn't even think of this one.

Let's just skip this topic for the sake of me not experiencing life changes, alright?

Quite a lot of people were in here actually! At the end of the table sat a group of women having their so-called 'Party Day' or whatever, a pretty small kid was cutely munching on a piece of chocolate-coated waffles with his mom, a steaming cup of coffee before her and some other people strewn about here and there-

…Ugh! It was boring! Why couldn't I just sit in my favorite four walls, play some videogames and maybe listen to another story of Korosensei!? This was actually driving me nuts! One thing's for sure: I'll not become a librarian if boredom kills me this badly.

'Where is Takebayashi anyways!? Wasn't he supposed to meet me here like…20 minutes ago?' To my luck, god decided to be nice once again as the door opened-

*Ring*

*Huff* "Sorry. The bus I was on had a mishap with its engine."

…

"Uhm…is something the matter?"

"Who are you and what have you done with Takebayashi?"

"Pardon?" You could have given me a million dollars. You could have given me a printed out DNA-test. You even could have given me a side-to-side comparison…BUT THERE WAS NO WAY THAT WAS THE GUY I KNOW FROM THE STORY!

To your information, the 'Takebayashi' before my eyes didn't wear any glasses, instead sporting contacts. His previous haircut was abandoned for the mother of all modern trend-styles and those lime-green eyes were visible due to said change. Even his clothes wasn't…him, for lack of a better word. A brown bomber jacket over his usual white shirt.

"…Start explaining this before I get an aneurism from too much thinking." The model-like boy sat down on the free chair, charming me with his unexpected looks.

…That sounded like the introduction to some pretty crappy love story.

"After Korosensei explained to me how restraining my actual character would only harm myself, I tried out new styles. I don't like it…but I can't deny the utility it provides." And there was the finger motion to push up his non-existent glasses. There…was also a line of sweat trailing down his face.

"You really don't enjoy the beauty-like lifestyle, huh?" With the context back in place, I could somewhat understand him. It just…doesn't fit him. That style is so unique, it actually plays in his favor. 'Even his eyebrows are as straight as a needle.'

"It's annoying to summarize it. All this make-up in my hair itches, same for the contact lenses." He took out a handkerchief from his jacket before sighing from relief. "And the jacket isolates warmth too well. Should've picked a different one…"

"Maybe. So…what do you have for me?"

"Oh, yeah." He took out a second handkerchief from his inner pockets, folded it and handed it to me from under the table. Since there weren't many windows from the outside I hoped no one saw our little trade.

"There's a bit of crucial information on it. I only got to write small scribbles as to not make myself any more suspicious." I didn't want to waste more time, so wishing off my mouth from any of the cookie crumbs gave me a pretty solid excuse to store it in my jeans pocket.

"How is Korosensei doing?"

"…Well, he's worried about the situation with Ritsu but otherwise he's doing ok."

"Glad to know that."

"…"

"…" This is getting awkward now. C'mon…I suck at making conversations!

"…Do you think we'll even succeed?"

"Huh?" Where did that come from suddenly? And why did he look so…unsure of himself?

"I know my class the most out of everyone…they're not to be taken lightly, so do you think we even stand a chance?"

…I really didn't know an answer to that. Up to know no one of us really thought about this. Sure, they were presumably one of the biggest powerhouses to deal with, but that's the thing. I just didn't know.

"If you want me to be serious about this, I have no idea." I'll just take a cookie for now... "But I will sure as heck try. We've come this far already, so giving up isn't an option right now."

*Munch* And eat it.

"…You're right. I can work with that answer."

"Glad to know. You want to stay here a bit longer? Chat or something?"

"I can't get back there until a few hours due to excuses, so sure. Do you think they serve any rice omelet here?"

"You know…I think they might."

…

* * *

 _(To be continued…)_

 _(Fire Me): I know that this isn't another real Chapter and more of a filler but I hope you still liked it nonetheless. And about my lack of updates, I'm not sure if that will changed. Like I said before: Don't hope too much for regular content._

 _Finding my rhythm back is my first priority for now. Until then, have a good day / night._

 _The Sir's out!_


	21. Operation II, E Pluribus Unum

_It's certainly been a while since I updated this story, hasn't it. I'm still surprised so many actively followed this fanfiction, considering my last update was almost a whole year ago. Eh, ten months but I won't talk this any sweeter as it needs it to be. First of all, on my writer's name I want to apologize for not being on for this long. You might've seen me write on other stories around the League of Legends-side of FF, yet 'S101WK' never fully left my mind.  
_

 _What caused me to delay any writing on this to such a degree? Personally, I could throw my blame on a lot of things. Writer's block, school, my own mood. But I won't. There wouldn't be much benefit for me doing so as I'd simply push the actual issue aside. Fact is: The story had been on unintentional hiatus and I never gave a warning as to it happening._

 _So for the very few guys and gals out there: This is written to apologize, but sadly not to confirm me yet resuming this story fully. My finals will be coming in around five days and I haven't learned even a single thing on the topics that are about to steamroll me in this manner. Should things go smoovely, then I'll have more free time to maybe tackle this once more._

 _Otherwise...I am glad for every review, follow and favoring you all decided to share with this._

 _Well, let's push the sappy stuff aside for now, shall we? You're here for some content anyways, right? (Not to mention that a simple A/N would break the site's terms of service.) So without much further ado,_

 _Roll the next Chapter, please._

 **...**

 **CHAPTER 21 - OPERATION II, E PLURIBUS UNUM (OUT OF MANY, ONE)**

* * *

Week three finally rolled around.

And according to the little handkerchief our partner in crime delivered to us, this Tuesday they'd finally transport Ritsu's "body" into the school facility, hook her up with the neccescary voltage but not turn her on yet. Which was today. This evening.

So we didn't have any other options left.

"Hmmm...got a four?"

"Nope," replied the already yawning Taro on his seat, placing another playing card on our shared table. Riley fumbled around with his jacket and trying to fix the zipper that somehow got stuck between his fabric, whereas Samantha had opted for lying on another table like a make-shift mattress with headphones in her ears. Glad she didn't buy anything related to those wireless pods, else I'd hear meme after meme in my head on no end.

"I have another seven," mumbled our newest member of the special group, Jacob annoyingly fumbling with his fan of cards before picking the right one and placing it on the growing pile. He seemed uninterested in our activity yet didn't voice it at least, so that was at least a plus. His own heavy coat was sprawled out on the remaining surface of his lap (which reeked to mustard to this day, much to the dismay of Korosensei who still tries pursuading him into washing it).

"HA! Read it and weep!"

"We're playing UNO Adrianne, not Texas Hold'Em!"

"Gah, whatever!", replied our aggrivated teacher and "supervisor" as she crossed her arms. Boredom obviously caught on to her quickly, if her badly suppresed snarl and annoyed grimace was anything to go by. Throwing her remaining cards onto the student table she stood up, walked to her own desk and grabbed a copy of the latest manga alongside the whiteboard's remote. She pressed a few of the buttons on it, turning on the beamer above the actual surface and activated our make-shift observation system.

It was already past 7 PM (Or 19:00 for you folks out there) and the aforementioned black box containing Ritsu itself were nowhere to be found in 3-E's room. Normally we'd expect someone to be already around by this time but...nothing.

Either they were so bored that stuff got delayed or they won't show up, I wasted everyone's time and we're the only people left in this damn building.

...

Odds are against me, no?

Yeah, I figured. Judging from your looks this isn't even a question.

"This is taking too long," was our resident Goth's first words after an entire hour of silence. Her black bangs were chaotically strewn around her pale face, eyes closed as some heavy riff was ringing through her ears while listening to music.

"I agree!" And finally Riley came out of whatever he was still doing with his jacket, the hair on his head perfectly set in place with gel and a slight hint of perfume on his body. He's been seated on the window's ledge for longer than Samantha, so his legs had to be tired or asleep by now. Heck, if they weren't I want to know why and how I can learn it myself-

"Shut it for second, all of you!" Eh?

"Did you find something, Adrianne~?", asked our smallest boy with a tilting smile on his face. Like eating pure sugar from a bag.

"More like we found **them**." Our eyes wandered up to the board's screen, the latest transmission of our cameras displaying how a pair of dressed up adults was transporting a big wooden box and carrying it around vertically to bring it through the door's size. The actual box was fairly huge, yet remained rather slim at the sides. It didn't take long before Mr. Karasuma also walked in, face set in a stern frown and hands holding a fairly clean clipboard plus pencil.

We sadly couldn't hear what was said in the meantime. Those things were cameras only, so without any additional microphones we were left with the livefeed. Not to say that our advantage didn't exist, but we didn't know to what extend yet.

"So it's finally go-time." Those were the only words uttered by me in a nervous haze when they opened the wooden front with a crowbar...to reveal the one "individual" today's actions revolve around.

Autonomously Intelligent Fixed Artillery, or Ritsu for short was essentially one of the most advanced AIs in the world. Created in Norway, her only purpose was the anihilation of Korosensei. Now however, this would also include me as any damage dealt to him would inevitably be returned onto me and vice versa. With her in this game, neither of us would survive for long.

Either we swayed her secretly onto our side...

Or we'd need to shut her down in this debacle. Indefinitely.

To our dismay, altering anything in her program was off-limits. 'I promised Takeshi after all.' And after telling what occured between me and the 3-E student, he revised his own plan on what we needed to do. Gone was the alteration software he and Jacob had worked on for around a few days, give or take. Now, our only option was to sway her through explanation and understanding. 'Since she's an AI, there's should be no problem regarding moral question I hope.'

"Alright. Time to dig for gold, brats."

"No need to push us around this way, lunatic." Our teacher didn't seem to even feel the need for a remark as we watched both Karasuma and the other men walked out of their tidy, organized room. We'd simply need to wait for a few minutes before all of us could make sure that these guys left the premise. Technically no one was allowed to be in here except the caretaker, who already ditched half of his shift after Scott Meyers lobbed a cup of water on his head earlier today.

Safe to say the sucker got punished by playing clean-up crew during the lunch break~.

After 10 more minutes passed on the whiteboard's clock we finally moved out. The halls were only lit through a single row of dim lighting in the main hallways, not including the connecting hallways for classrooms where our target room was stationed at. It gave the whole damn school that old creepy horror-feel to it, as if a crazy clown, zombie or worse would jump at your face.

"Scaryyyy!" Of course, Taro liked this atmosphere the least of us.

"Shhh! Keep it quiet, or else someone could hear us," came the smooth whispering of Sam. Her posture didn't seem to indicate any trace of fear, as we expected. There was more that aura of tranquility around her body, something we only saw during breaks and at her home. This was scary in itself, speaking from experience of course.

"Then let's get this show over the road." Adrianne smirked to herself, fishing out her oversized keychain and grabbing her universal teacher key. Since there weren't designated classrooms for teachers, they could switch around the place if they ever needed to. Good for us in this case, although a total failure in the management department of this school.

Seriously, why even give them this much free space!?

Once we stepped in, their room looked much more ominous without any light source. "Where's the damn light switch in this room?" No matter where I grabbed, nothing seemed to be the designated spot. And before any makes an inappropiate joke about my wording, I'm stopping you right there!

"Found it," rang the voice of Juarez behind us.

*Click*

Oh sweet god, how much I missed these stupid little light bulbs up there.

For a recap, the last two times we invaded their personal space there was a lot more dust, barely visible cobwebs and general chaos around. Yet looking back at it, nothing of the sort seemed to apply anymore. Each and every desk looked clean to the touch. Okay, maybe the ones in the back weren't as neatly rowed like the rest. Take a guess on who's seated on these, folks.

Yet all our attention was quickly taken away by the gigantic metal box in the back of the room, standing ominously in the space around us. The surface of said form looked perfectly slick, a deep black color coating the whole casing and a small glass screen around the top-half to finish it off. There was a mysterious air around the actual AI, not to mention how this could blow over any second.

We needed to hurry. The less time we wasted, the less risk there was involved.

"One of you looks for any people inside the halls next to us, Jacob will screw open the backpanel of the machine. We'll do the talking in the meantime." Adrianne seemed to get the mental memo, quickly ordering us around with Samantha saluting in a mocking fashion before stepping outside. Our newest member walked to the back of Ritsu, grabbing a screwdriver from inside his jacket and already going to work.

All of us were on edge, to say underexaggerated. Taro and Riley were nervous walking around the room, looking at random things to take their attention away, Adrianne was biting her finger nails as she stared at the definitely real machine ahead of us and me-

Uhm...

'Oh crap, oh god, oh sweet merficul-' I was uhm...hoping everything went for the best?

"Okay, I found the main power supply of this." Juarez was hands deep into his work, having put aside the backplate which gently rested against 3-E's teacher's desk. The thing looked rather heavy, seeming at least 3-4 cm's thic-

"Hello?", greeted us an unknown female voice from the front.

...

"Ah, he's got it to work. Nice job, Jac~!"

"Uhm..."

"Jacob? What's wrong?" I had to ask. I **needed** to, or else-

"Hi~! My name is Autonomously Intelligent Fixed Artillery, or Ritsu! How may I be of service~?"

"I...didn't turn her on externally."

...

So he's essentially telling us...that she turned herself on!?

"Moreover, I'd like to know your names and why your in my class' room without permission~."

...

* * *

 _(To be continued...)_

 _(Fire Me): Stay sharp everyone and take care._

 _The Sir's out!_


End file.
